V 


NELL  GWYNNE  OF  OLD  DRURY. 


NELL  GWYNNE 


OF  OLD  DRURY 


OUR    LADY    OF  LAUGHTER 


BY 

HALL  DOWNING 


Chicago  and  New  York: 
Rand,  McNally  &  Company, 

Publishers. 


Copyright,  1901,  by  Rand,  McNally  &  Co. 

All  serial  and  dramatic  rights  reserved. 
Copyright,  eighteen  hundred  ninety- 
two,  byRobertL.  Downing.  Nell  Gwynne 
of  Old  Drury  Our  Lady  of  Laughter. 


SRtt 

URC 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I.     The  King's  Playhouse 7 

II.     A  Supper  with  Royalty 27 

III.  La  Belle  Stuart 61 

IV.  Pretty,  Mad  Nelly 82 

V.     Love's  Desperate  Game 112 

VI.     Dethrone  Him ! 137 

VII.     Broken  Ties 149 

VIII.     An  Asmodean  Glimpse 162 

IX.     Le  Roi  s' Amuse 175 

X.     The  Reigning  Favorite 198 

XI.     Nell  to  the  Rescue ! 209 

XII.     Her  Grace  of  Richmond 233 

XIII.  The  Plague !     The  Plague ! 249 

XIV.  A  Rout  at  Whitehall 269 

XV.     Check  to  the  King 279 

XVI.  All's  Well  That  Ends  Well . ,  296 


NELL  GWYNNE. 

A  ROMANCE   OF  KING  CHARLES  IIS  AND  HIS  COURT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   KING'S    PLAYHOUSE. 

1 4 /"^v  RANGES!     Oranges!     Who'll  buy  my 

V_y     oranges?" 

"  Oranges  !     Buy,  buy  my  golden  beauties ! " 

" All  sweet!  sweet!  sweet!  Balls  of  honey  1 
Balls  of  honey!" 

In  the  front  row  of  the  pit  of  the  new  theatre 
in  Drury  Lane,  with  their  backs  to  the  stage, 
stood  the  orange  girls,  their  baskets  piled  high 
with  the  golden  fruit.  In  more  or  less  melodi- 
ous tones,  and  with  repartee,  sometimes  rough, 
but  almost  always  witty,  they  called  their  wares. 

The  house  was  rapidly  filling  with  a  gay  com- 
pany, for  to-night  was  a  gala  night  and  one  that 
was  like  to  replenish  the  somewhat  depleted 
purse  of  good  Killigrew,  the  manager.  It  was 


8  NELL  GWYNNE- 

to  be  the  first  appearance  in  public,  since  his 
recent  serious  illness,  of  his  most  Christian  maj- 
esty, Charles  the  Second ;  and,  moreover,  "  pret- 
ty, witty  Nelly,"  otherwise  Mistress  Eleanor 
Gwynne,  the  bright,  particular  star  of  his  maj- 
esty's servants,  was  to  play  her  favorite  role  of 
Florimel  in  Mr.  Dryden's  comedy  of  "  Secret 
Love." 

Charles,  at  this  time,  was  at  the  height  of  his 
popularity.  He  had  been  welcomed  back  with 
an  enthusiasm  that  knew  no  bounds,  and  his 
affability  of  manner  and  charms  of  person  did 
much  to  strengthen  the  attachment  of  his  sub- 
jects. In  this  connection  it  may  be  stated  that 
Oughtred  the  mathematician  is  said  to  have 
died  of  joy  and  Urquhart,  the  translator  of 
Rabelais,  of  laughter,  on  hearing  of  the  ecstasy 
of  the  English  people  at  the  return  of  old  Row- 
ley. But,  in  spite  of  the  stories  that  were  told 
of  the  sad  doings  at  court,  the  king  became 
more  and  more  endeared  to  the  hearts  of  the 
masses. 

Wearied  to  death  with*  the  rigid,  puritanical 
rule  of  Cromwell,  the  people  were  only  too  glad 
to  throw  off  the  yoke  and  indulge  in  gaiety  of 
all  descriptions.  Their  freedom  of  spirit  had 
been  only  half  subdued  by  Presbyterian  perse- 
cution, and  there  was  a  violent  reaction  from 
Puritan  severity.  The  sombre  garments  of  the 


THE   KING'S   PLAYHOUSE.  9 

Protectorate  gave  place  to  gay  colored  dresses 
adorned  with  a  profusion  of  lace,  ribbons  and 
embroidery.  The  playing  of  the  guitar  and  the 
singing  of  anything  save  psalm  tunes  were  no 
longer  prohibited  and  dancing  was  no  longer 
reckoned  as  one  of  the  deadly  sins. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  striking  results  of 
the  restoration  of  the  Stuarts  was  the  revival  of 
the  English  theatre.  The  doors  of  the  play- 
houses 'had  been  closed  and  the  voices  of  the 
players  silenced  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury. 

When  the  king  returned  to  the  throne  great 
pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  him  to  au- 
thorize the  erection  of  new  theatres  in  London ; 
but,  acting  upon  the  advice  of  Clarendon,  the 
leader  of  the  House  of  Lords,  whose  aim  it  was 
to  check  as  much  as  possible  the  flood  of  dissipa- 
tion, Charles  would  not  allow  more  than  two,  the 
King's  House,  which  was  placed  under  the  man- 
agement of  Thomas  Killigrew,  and  the  Duke's 
House,  so  called  in  honor  of  the  king's  brother, 
the  Duke  of  York,  controlled  by  Sir  William 
Davenant.  The  company  of  the  first  called 
themselves  the  king's  servants,  and  the  com- 
pany of  the  second  the  duke's  servants. 

There  was  the  greatest  rivalry  between  the 
two  theatres,  a  rivalry  which  extended  from  the 
managers  to  the  lowest  menial  in  their  employ. 


10  NELL  GWYNNE. 

The  stage  properties  were  new  and  the  dresses 
costly.  On  both  stages  were  represented  the 
plays  of  Shakspere  and  Ben  Jonson,  "  which  so 
did  take  Eliza  and  our  James  "  ;  and  for  both 
companies  Dryden,  Wycherly,  Southern  and 
others  wrote  tragedies  and  comedies. 

It  was  at  this  period  that  female  characters 
were  first  played  by  women,  and  for  the  first 
time  also  sovereigns  attended  stage  representa- 
tions. 

"  Oranges !     Oranges  !     Buy  my  oranges !  " 

The  theatre  was  now  nearly  full.  The  house 
was  a  large  one  lighted  by  candles  fixed  in  scon- 
ces. The  boxes  were  in  the  first  tier,  and  the 
two  just  opposite  the  stage  were  gaily  decorated 
in  honor  of  the  royal  party,  which  had  not  yet 
arrived. 

The  second  circle  was  occupied  by  worthy 
tradesmen  of  the  city ;  and  the  pit  was  filled  by 
gallants  of  the  court,  ladies  in  rustling  silks  and 
satins  but  with  their  faces  closely  masked,  and 
young  gentlemen  from  the  University  and  the 
Temple.  TLe  only  females  without  vizards 
were  the  *bona  robas,  who  brazenly  displayed 
their  painted  cheeks. 

Above  all  the  buzz  of  conversation  rose  the 
cries  of  the  fruit  girls,  conspicuous  among  whom 
was  a  woman  with  brawny  arms  and  an  enor- 
mous breadth  of  shoulder.  Her  countenance 


THE  KING'S   PLAYHOUSE.  11 

was  ugly  and  weatherbeaten,  and  her  uncovered 
head  was  crowned  with  a  shock  of  hair  so  red 
that  it  was  almost  scarlet.  This  redoubtable 
female  was  Mistress  Mary  Bobson,  commonly 
known  as  Orange  Moll.  Her  voice  was  the 
shrillest  and  her  retorts  were  the  coarsest  and 
most  telling. 

Far  down  in  the  pit,  not  far  from  the  stage, 
stood  two  gentlemen,  whose  acquaintance  it 
behooves  us  to  make.  The  one  was  Harry, 
Lord  Buckhurst,  one  of  the  handsomest  and 
most  brilliant  noblemen  of  the  court,  and  one 
of  the  most  impecunious  as  well.  His  attire, 
however,  bore  no  evidence  of  the  latter  fact, 
for  he  was  resplendent  in  crimson  velvet 
slashed  with  satin  of  a  paler  hue,  and  in  the 
lace  of  his  cravat  and  upon  his  sword-hilt  jewels 
flashed.  The  state  of  his  finances  troubled  the 
careless  young  fellow  but  little,  so  long  as  Jews 
and  tradespeople  were  complacent.  His  com- 
panion was  a  man  of  quite  different  appearance 
and  character.  His  face  was  plump,  smooth 
and  sanctimonious,  but  there  was  a  wicked 
sparkle  in  his  round  eyes  that  showed  he  was 
not  altogether  averse  to  the  pleasures  of  the 
world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil.  He  was  dressed 
rather  plainly  in  a  dark  plum-colored  suit,  and 
upon  his  head  he  wore  an  enormous  periwig, 
the  heavy  curls  of  which  fell  far  down  upon  his 


12  NELL  G  WYNNE. 

shoulders.  Samuel  Pepys,  who  was  then  about 
forty  years,  was  a  personage  of  no  small  impor- 
tance, especially  in  his  own  estimation.  A  per- 
sistent haunter  of  the  steps  of  the  great  and 
influential,  and  a  most  adroit  flatterer,  he  had 
advanced  step  by  step  until  he  had  obtained  the 
important  position  of  clerk  of  the  acts  of  the 
navy.  This  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  con- 
stant intercourse  with  the  Duke  of  York,  who 
was  Lord  High  Admiral,  and  he  soon  managed 
to  worm  himself  into  that  prince's  favor.  Buck- 
hurst  had  no  remarkable  liking  for  the  politic 
Samuel,  but  he  tolerated  him  for  his  good  humor 
and  his  amusing  qualities.  Moreover,  the  war 
against  the  Dutch  was  then  raging,  and  he  was 
anxious  to  obtain  command  of  a  ship.  Mr. 
Pepys  might  not  be  able  to  advance  materially 
his  interests,  but  still,  as  a  man  who  had  the  ear 
of  the  Duke  of  York,  it  was  well  to  keep  on 
moderately  good  terms  with  him. 

"By  my  faith,"  observed  Pepys,  critically 
scanning  the  house,  <-our  friend  Killigrew 
should  be  satisfied  with  this.  It  is  a  bitter 
blow,  I  hear,  to  Davenant  that  the  King  should 
come  here  first." 

"Why  so?"  returned  Buckhurst,  carelessly. 
"It  is  meet  that  His  Majesty  should  give  the 
preference  to  his  own  house.  Let  Davenant 
content  himself  with  the  Duke.  This  is  a  rare 


THE   KING'S    PLAYHOUSE.  13 

assemblage,  indeed,"  he  added,  after  a  pause. 
"Who  would  think  that  the  plague  had  so  re- 
cently devastated  the  town  ?  " 

Pepys  shuddered. 

"  Ugh !  That  was  a  ghastly  time,  indeed.  I 
did  hear  to-day  that  the  pest  had  broken  out 
again  in  the  city,  but  I  give  the  report  no  cre- 
dence." 

"  May  Heaven  avert  the  repetition  of  such  a 
calamity !  Ah !  there  is  Mr.  Betterton  of  the 
Duke's  theatre.  A  good  fellow,  that,  and  a 
fine  actor." 

> 

Pepys  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  care  but  little  for  the  actors ;  the  actresses 
interest  me.  Save  Knipp  there  is  not  a  pretty 
one  among  them  at  the  Duke's.  I  was  there  a 
night  or  two  since  to  see  <  A  Midsummer 
Night's  Dream.'  Poor,  insipid  stuff,  methinks, 
and  that  Shakspere  is  a  tame  rogue.  Give  me 
Dryden,  or  Etherege — Etherege  above  all.  My 
taste  is  Nelly  in  Florimel,  which  we  are  to  see 
to-night.  Ha !  Ha !  Ha !  She  do  play  the 
most  excellent,  mad  fool  I  ever  saw  in  my 
life."  Then,  lowering  his  voice,  and  with  a 
cautious  glance  around  to  see  that  no  one  was 
listening,  he  added:  "Oh,  she's  the  merriest 
rogue  alive.  I  saw  her  in  her  tiring  room  last 
night.  And,  he,  he,  he  !  What's  better  still,  I 
kissed  her  too." 


j.4  NELL  GWYNKE. 

Buckhurst  frowned. 

"Indeed!"  he  remarked,  gruffly.  "And  I'll 
be  sworn,  she  cuffed  you  soundly." 

Pepys'  face  fell. 

"Well,  my  lord,  to  tell  the  truth,  in  some 
sort  she  did,"  was  the  rueful  response.  "  She's 
such  a  playful  thing." 

Buckhurst  laid  his  hand  heavily  on  the 
other's  shoulder. 

"  Hark    ye,    Mr.    Pepys,"    he    said,    sternly. 
"Take  my  advice,  and  kiss  her  no  more." 
*  tt  Why  not,  my  lord  ?  " 

"  Because  if  my  sword  come  about  your  ears, 
it  will  sting  more  sharply  than  her  hand." 

Samuel  started.  He  suddenly  remembered 
that  rumor  averred  Lord  Buckhurst  to  be 
deeply  enamoured  of  the  fair  actress,  and  as  he 
prided  himself  upon  his  diplomacy,  upon  al- 
ways saying  the  right  thing  to  the  right  man 
(an  assumption,  by  the  way,  which  was  by  no 
means  always  justified),  he  was  highly  cha- 
grined at  his  blunder. 

"Your  lordship  is  pleased  to  be  facetious,"  he 
said,  attempting  to  make  a  jest  of  the  matter. 

"Not  in  the  least,"  replied  Buckhurst,  grave- 
ly. "I  am  quite  in  earnest.  So  be  more  careful 
in  the  future.  Besides,  what  would  Mrs.  Pepys 
say  to  such  wild  doings?" 

"Hal     Ha!     Ha!"    laughed    Pepys.      "My 


THE   KING'S   PLAYHOUSE.  15 

wife!  Poor  wretch,  she  never  suspects.  But," 
suddenly  becoming  serious,  "  your  lordship  will 
not  tell  her  ?  " 

Before  Buckhurst  could  respond,  the  strident 
voice  of  Orange  Moll,  who  had  been  plying  so 
brisk  a  trade  for  some  minutes  that  there  had 
been  no  need  for  her  to  solicit  patronage,  broke 
in  upon  their  conversation  : 

"  Oranges  !  Oranges  !  Buy  my  oranges  !  The 
true  Seville,  by  my  virtue !  Oranges,  sweet 
ladies  !  Oranges,  dear  gentlemen  ! " 

"  Plague  take  the  wench,"  exclaimed  Pepys 
testily,  "  to  split  our  ears  with  her  caterwaul- 
ing." 

Moll  caught  the  words,  and  in  a  trice  she 
turned  upon  the  speaker. 

"  Caterwauling,  forsooth  !  "  she  snapped,  in 
tones  that  made  Pepys  wince.  "  So,  you  would 
insult  an  honest  woman,  would  you,  Master 
Pepys  ?  Oh,  I  know  you  !  Did  not  I  see  you  the 
other  night  with  Knipp  at  the  Saracen's  Head, 
and " 

"Hush,"  whispered  Pepys,  approaching  closer 
to  her,  amidst  the  laughter  of  those  in  the  front 
rows.  "The  foul  fiend's  in  your  tongue.  Here, 
take  this  and  be  still." 

Moll  glanced  at  the  broad  gold  piece  he  placed 
in  her  palm,  grinned,  nodded,  and  much  to  Pepys' 
relief  resumed  her  appeals  for  trade : 


16  NELL  GWYNNE. 

"Oranges!  Oranges!  Who'll  buy  of  Orange 
Mary?" 

"Mary!"  laughed  a  young  gallant  near  by. 
"Why,  I've  known  her  as  Moll  these  five  and 
twenty  years." 

"  Well,  if  you  have,  Major  Denham,"  retorted 
the  virago,  tartly,  "  don't  boast  of  the  acquain- 
tance and  shame  me  before  company  !  " 

A  blare  of  trumpets  silenced  the  laughter  that 
greeted  this  sally.  At  the  same  moment  ushe  -s 
bearing  lighted  candelabras  entered  the  royal 
boxes.  The  king  was  approaching.  The  orange 
girls  hastily  beat  a  retreat  to  the  rear  of  the 
house,  and  the  entire  audience  rose  to  greet  the 
advent  of  royalty. 

The  band  struck  up  "Britons  Strike  Home," 
and  followed  by  half  a  dozen  richly  dressed 
gentlemen  Charles  appeared  in  one  of  the  boxes, 
and  at  the  same  moment  the  queen,  with  her 
maids  of  honor  all  closely  masked,  entered  the 
other. 

The  king  advanced  to  the  front  of  the  box, 
bowed  right  and  left,  and  then  seated  himself 
in  the  throne-like  chair  which  had  been  pre- 
pared for  him.  His  majesty's  person  was  an 
indication  of  his  character,  handsome,  graceful, 
careless,  the  marks  of  dissipation  just  beginning 
to  show  themselves  upon  his  aristocratic  feat- 
ures. 


THE   KING  S   PLAYHOUSE.  17 

"  The  king  seems  to  have  entirely  recovered 
from  his  illness,"  remarked  Buckhurst  to  Pepys 
as  they  resumed  their  places. 

"Yes,"  replied  Pepys,  in  a  low  voice,  "and 
since  his  recovery,  they  do  say,  the  Duchess  is 
quite  out  of  favor." 

Honest  Samuel  was  a  very  prince  of  news- 
mongers and  always  had  all  the  details  of  the 
latest  scandal  at  his  tongue's  end. 
>i  "Will  Chiffinch  tells  me  that  it  was  a  rare 
gicene,'''  he  continued,  thoroughly  enjoying  the 
imparting  of  the  news,  "the  quarrel  between 
them.  First  the  lady  scolded  and  the  king 
swore,  and  then  the  king  scolded  and  the  lady 
swore,  but  his  majesty  was  firm  for  once." 

"The  Duchess  out  of  favor,"  said  Buckhurst 
thoughtfully,  for  the  woman  who  was  upper- 
most in  the  king's  capricious  affections  was  for 
the  nonce  the  most  powerful  personage  in  the 
kingdom.  "^And  who  is  her  successor  ?  The 
fair  Jennings  for  a  thousand  !  " 

"Tush ! "  ejaculated  Pepys,  with  a  lofty  smile, 
as  befitted  one  possessed  of  superior  information. 
"The  lady  who  has  ousted  the  Duchess,  fair 
Jennings,  Moll  Davis  and  all  the  rest  is — Hold, 
if  I  mistake  not  that  is  she,  seated  at  the  right 
of  the  queen." 

Buckhurst  glanced  up  at  the  royal  boxes. 
"That  leaves  me  no  better  informed  than  be- 


18  NELL   G WYNNE., 

fore,"  he  said.  "Her  features  are  indistinguish- 
able." 

"What,  my  lord?  Can  there  be  any  mis- 
taking that  superb  figure  and  regal  bearing, 
and,  indeed,  why  should  not  her  bearing  be  regal 
for  in  her  veins  flows  the  blood  royal." 

"  Lady  Frances  Stuart ! " 

"Your  lordship  has  said  it.  His  majesty  has 
cast  his  royal  sheeps  eyes  upon  her — May  the 
Lord  forgive  me !  I  mean  no  disloyalty  !  Ay, 
Will  Chiffinch  says  that  he  is  deeper  in  love 
with  Lady  Frances  than  he  has  been  with  any 
woman  since  Lucy  Walters.  Why,  'twas 
through  jealousy  of  her  that  the  Duchess  broke 
out  the  other  day." 

"This  will  be  sour  news  for  Richmond  on  his 
return." 

"To  be  sure !  To  be  sure  ! "  assented  Samuel, 
with  a  smack  of  his  lips  at  a  suggestion  which 
gave  a  new  savor  to  the  scandal.  "  His  grace  of 
Richmond  has  long  paid  suit  to  the  fair  lady." 

"Why,  he  is  a  regular  salt-water  Strephon. 
He  has  a  miniature  of  La  Belle  Stuart  hanging 
in  his  cabin  and,  I  verily  believe,  worships  it  as 
Russians  do  their  icons." 

"If  the  Duke  returns  shortly  to  London,  be- 
fore the  present  ardor  of  the  King  is  dimin- 
ished, what  will  be  the  outcome  ?  " 

"That  is  his  look-out." 


THE   KING'S   PLAYHOUSE.  19 

"By  the  way,  my  lord,  you  were  in  the  late 
action.  Was  it  a  victory  ?  " 

"  I  know  not  whether  it  was  a  victory  or  not. 
I  saw  nothing  but  smoke.  Ask  Richmond.  He 
will  be  at  court  in  a  day  or  two  with  full  reports 
and  a  Dutch  flag." 

"A  Dutch  flag!  Ah!  his  Grace  of  Richmond 
is  a  man  worthy  to  defend  us,  eh,  my  lord?  " 

"  He  is  brave  enough,  but,  pshaw,  he's  a  dull 
water  drinker,"  replied  Buckhurst,  a  little 
weary  of  his  companion's  loquacity. 

"As  your  lordship  says,  a  sober  knave," 
assented  Pepys,  complacently.  "  But,  to  return 

^Q » 

"  Hush!  the  play  is  about  to  begin." 

The  prompter's  bell  was  heard  and  the  cur- 
tains parted. 

The  performance  proceeded  rather  slowly, 
until  there  dashed  upon  the  stage  the  pictur- 
esque figure  of  a  young  cavalier  in  silken 
doublet,  velvet  cloak,  high  boots  and  broad- 
brimmed  hat  with  long  sweeping  plumes.  It 
was  Nell  Gwynne  as  Florimel,  and,  as  the 
crowded  house  recognized  its  favorite,  it  burst 
into  a  hurricane  of  applause. 

The  face  of  the  popular  actress  was  not  per- 
haps  strictly  beautiful,  but  it  possessed  a  charm 
of  its  own  far  more  bewitching  than  any  mere 
regularity  of  feature.  Her  skin  was  extremely 


20  NELL   GWYNNE. 

fair,  with  a  tint  in  the  cheeks  as  exquisite  as  a 
blush  rose.  Her  hair  was  a  rich  warm-hued 
auburn,  her  eyebrows  brown  and  very  thick. 
Her  hazel  eyes  with  their  curling  dark  lashes, 
were  not  very  large,  but  remarkably  brilliant, 
and  her  nose  was  just  enough  turned  up  to  give 
her  an  indescribably  piquant  expression.  When 
she  laughed,  her  eyes  would  close  until  they 
became  almost  invisible,  and  an  entrancing  dim- 
ple would  form  itself  in  either  cheek.  Added 
to  this,  her  figure  was  well-nigh  perfection,  her 
voice  clear,  sweet  and  musical  as  a  silver  bell, 
and  her  every  movement  full  of  natural,  un- 
studied grace. 

This  was  the  first  time  that  the  king  had  ever 
beheld  Nell,  and  the  trimness  of  her  figure  and 
the  radiant  brilliancy  of  her  laughing  face  at 
once  captured  the  fancy  of  the  royal  voluptuary. 
As  the  play  proceeded,  Charles  became  more 
and  more  interested  in  the  young  actress  and 
several  times  led  the  applause  himself,  a  fact 
which  several  of  the  courtiers  were  not  slow  to 
mark  and  inwardly  draw  deductions  from. 

In  the  box  with  the  king  were  the  Duke  of 
Buckingham,  who  possessed  great  influence 
over  Charles,  largely  gained  through  his  skill  in 
pandering  to  the  royal  pleasures ;  Lord  Shaftes- 
bury,  the  lord  privy  seal  of  the  council,  a  states- 
man not  without  a  certain  amount  of  patriotism, 


THE    KING'S    PLAYHOUSE.  21 

but  with  a  much  keener  eye  to  his  own  advance- 
ment; and  Sir  George  Etherege,  a  rake  and  a 
dramatist,  whose  sprightly  comedies  of  "Love 
in  a  Tub"  and  "The  Man  of  Mode"  had  met 
with  much  popular  approval. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  act,  the  king  turned  to 
his  companions,  and  with  that  easy  familiarity 
with  which  he  was  accustomed  to  treat  his  in- 
timates, remarked : 

"  Odds  fish,  gentlemen,  but  the  jade  is  wholly 
delightful.  Not  half  enough  has  been  said  in 
her  praise.  Is  any  one  of  you  happy  enough  to 
have  the  honor  of  her  acquaintance  ?  " 

"Not  I,"  replied  Buckingham,  inwardly  curs- 
ing the  mischance  that  forced  him  to  answer  in 
the  negative  ;  for,  understanding  Charles  as  he 
did,  he  fully  comprehended  the  purport  of  the 
question. 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Shaftesbury. 

"Nor  I,"  repeated  Sir  George  Etherege. 
"But,"  he  added,  after  a  moment's  pause,  "if 
reports  be  true,  your  Majesty,  my  Lord  Buck- 
hurst  knows  well  fair  Mistress  Gwynne." 

"Ah!  my  lord  Buckhurst,"  said  the  king, 
slowly.  "Methinks  I  see  his  lordship  in  the  pit 
below.  Good  Sir  George,  would  you  kindly  seek 
him  out,  and  say  I  crave  his  company?" 

Etherege  bowed  and  retired,  to  return  a  few 
minutes  later  followed  by  Buckhurst,  who  was 


2%  NELL 

received  with  great  affability  by  his  sovereign. 
Charles  admired  the  young  nobleman  for  his 
courageous  spirit  and  fine  powers  of  mind,  but 
Buckhurst  was  so  lazy  that,  though  the  king 
seemed  to  court  him  to  be  a  favorite,  he  would 
not  give  himself  the  trouble  that  belonged  to 
the  part.  Moreover  he  hated  the  court  and  de- 
spised the  brainless  foplings  who  haunted  it, 
seeking  a  stray  ray  of  the  sunshine  of  royal 
favor. 

"  The  play  is  excellent,"  began  Charles,  mo- 
tioning Buckhurst  to  be  seated,  "this  Mr.  Dry- 
den  has  a  rare  wit." 

"  Y^s,  sire,"  replied  Buckhurst,  "but  for  my 
part  I  prefer  Etherege,"  with  a  smile  at  Sir 
George,  who  was  one  of  his  greatest  friends. 

"  Ah !  of  course,  Etherege  as  a  playwright 
stands  alone,"  said  the  king  graciously.  And 
then,  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  his  eye,  and  a 
glance  at  Shaftesbury,  who  was  resplendent  in 
a  voluminous  wig  of  the  palest  flaxen  hue,  he 
added :  "  There  is  one  thing,  my  lord,  that  al- 
ways puzzles  me  at  the  theatre.  Perhaps  your 
lordship  may  be  able  to  inform  me." 

"  Whatever  information  I  possess  is  ever  at 
your  Majesty's  service." 

"  Pray,  then,  what  is  the  reason  we  never  see 
a  rogue  in  a  play,  but  odds  fish,  they  always 
clap  on  him  a  black  periwig,  when  it  is  well 


THE   KING'S   PLAYHOUSE.  23 

known  that  one  of  the  greatest  rogues  in  Eng- 
land always  wears  a  fair  one? " 

Shaftesbury  flushed  scarlet,  while  the  others, 
including  the  king  himself,  laughed  so  uproar- 
iously that  it  attracted  the  attention  of  a  goodly 
portion  of  the  house. 

"Nay,  my  good  Shaftesbury,"  said  the  king, 
stifling  his  laughter,  for,  in  spite  of  his  love  of 
a  joke,  he  was  ever  kindly.  "Nay,  my  good 
Shaftesbury,  regain  your  countenance.  I  meant 
nothing.  I  appreciate  your  worth.  My  Lord 
Buckhurst,  a  word  with  you  in  private." 

He  rose,  and  motioning  Buckhurst  to  follow 
him,  he  retreated  to  the  retiring  room  behind 
the  box. 

Buckingham's  face  grew  black.  He  formed 
a  pretty  correct  guess  as  to  the  nature  of  the 
interview  about  to  take  place,  and  he  was  in- 
tensely annoyed  that  his  own  particular  func- 
tions should  be  thus  usurped  by  another. 

"My  lord,"  said  Charles,  carelessly,  when  he 
was  alone  with  Buckhurst,  "they  tell  me  that 
you  have  an  acquaintance  with  this  delightful 
Florimel." 

"Nelly?"  replied  Buckhurst,  somewhat  sur- 
prised. "Yes,  your  Majesty,  I  know  her." 

"Well?" 

"  She  sups  with  me,  sire,  after  the  play  to- 
night." 


24  NELL  GFWYNNE. 

"  Indeed  !  "  responded  Charles,  with  a  smile, 
"Perhaps  you  might  consent  to  allow  a  third  to 
join  the  party." 

When  Buckhurst  heard  this  he  could  have 
bitten  his  tongue  out  for  his  imprudent  speech. 
He  understood  only  too  well  who  this  third 
would  be,,  and  the  addition  was  anything  but  to 
his  taste. 

"A  most  respectable  person,  you  under- 
stand," continued  the  king,  "a  certain  mercer 
of  the  city,  named — named  Robinson." 

"Any  friend  of  your  Majesty's  will  be  wel- 
come," replied  Buckhurst,  with  a  certain  con- 
straint. 

"In  his  name  and  mine,  I  thank  your  lord- 
ship. Mr.  Robinson  will  meet  you  in  front  of 
the  Rainbow  in  Fleet  Street,  half  an  hour  after 
the  play  is  over.  Be  prompt." 

"I  shall  not  fail,  your  Majesty." 

"And  what  is  much  more  to  the  point,  see 
that  the  fair  lady  does  not  fail  either." 

"I  have  her  promise,  but  the  promises  of 
women  are  not  to  be  depended  upon,  and  of 
all  changeable  feather-brained  wenches,  Nell 
Gwynne  is  the  most  fickle." 

"You  can  doubtless  find  means  to  hold  her  to 
her  appointment,  for  this  time,  at  all  events," 
replied  the  king.  And  then,  he  added  quizzi- 
cally, "They  do  say,  Buckhurst,  that  you  have 


THE   KING'S    PLAYHOUSE.  25 

half  the  women  at  both  the  theatres  sighing 
for  your  beaux  yeux.  I  intimated  but  now  that 
my  Lord  Shaftesbury  was  one  of  the  greatest 
rogues  in  all  England,  but,  upon  my  life,  I 
believe  that  you  are  the  greatest." 

"  For  a  subject,  sire,  perhaps  I  am,"  was  the 
dry  response,  uttered  without  a  moment's  hesi- 
tation or  reflection. 

The  king  stared  and  then  laughed  heartily. 
The  merry  monarch,  through  indolence  perhaps, 
was  not  at  all  quick  to  take  offence,  and  he  was 
that  rare  exception,  a  jester  quite  capable  of  ap- 
preciating and  enjoying  a  joke  against  himself. 

"Odds fish  !"  he  exclaimed,  employing  his  fa- 
vorite expletive,  "that  is  not  very  compliment- 
ary, but  indeed,  I  am  not  at  all  sure  but  that  you 
are  about  right,"  and  sovereign  and  subject 
laughed  together  like  two  jolly,  boon  compan- 
ions. 

But  Buckhurst  was  not  laughing  when  he  re- 
turned to  his  place  in  the  pit  beside  Mr.  Pepys. 
He  was  anything  but  pleased  that  he  should 
be  forced  to  endure  the  companionship  of  this 
"  Mr.  Robinson,"  when  he  had  hoped  to  be  alone 
with  Nell. 

Honest  Samuel  was  full  of  curiosity  as  to 
why  his  companion  had  been  summoned  to  the 
king's  presence ;  but  his  efforts  to  obtain  in- 


26  NELL   GWYNNE. 

formation  met  with  so  sharp  a  response,  that  he 
was  forced  to  desist  from  further  questioning. 

As  Buckhurst  watched  the  charming  acting 
of  the  woman  with  whom  he  was  perhaps  more 
infatuated  than  he  had  ever  been  with  any 
ether,  he  thought  to  himself,  not  without  a  cer- 
tain rancor : 

"  Why  need  he  force  himself  upon  us?  Let 
him  take  the  maids  of  honor  and  welcome,  but 
when  it  comes  to  the  players — peste  1  'tis  scan- 
dalous 1" 


CHAPTER  II. 

A   SUPPER  WITH   ROYALTY. 

ST.  SWITHIN  had  had  a  firm  hold  on  the 
weather  all  day,  but  late  in  the  afternoon 
the  clouds  had  broken,  and  the  evening  was  as 
clear  and  bright  as  the  heart  of  man  could  de- 
sire. The  streets  of  London,  poorly  paved  and 
ill-lighted,  were  unpleasant  enough  for  pedes- 
trianism  at  all  times,  but,  after  the  rain,  they 
were  well-nigh  impassable,  filled  as  they  were 
with  mud  and  slush.  Although  the  beauty  of 
the  night  attracted  large  crowds  out  of  doors, 
almost  every  one  was  making  use  of  the  water- 
way in  preference  to  walking  or  driving.  At 
every  few  steps  along  the  Thames  there  were 
little  docks  where  for  a  very  reasonable  price 
one  could  hire  boats  denominated  "  Oars  "  when 
two  rowers  were  employed  and  " Sculls"  when 
but  one  was  made  use  of. 

Although  it  was  not  more  than  half  past 
eight,  the  play  had  been  over  nearly  an  hour, 
for  in  those  days  theatrical  performances  began 
at  the  early  hour  of  four.  In  front  of  the  Rain- 


28  NELL   GWYXNE. 

bow  Tavern  in  Fleet  Street  paced  nervously 
back  and  forth  a  man  clothed  in  plain  but 
handsome  garments  of  puce-colored  cloth.  His 
every  movement  betrayed  irritation,  as  his  eyes 
scanned  the  almost  deserted  thoroughfare,  and 
every  now  and  then  an  ejaculation,  scarcely  fit 
for  ears  polite,  would  escape  his  lips.  Just  as 
his  patience  was  well-nigh  exhausted,  a  cab 
came  rumbling  around  the  corner,  the  wheels 
so  clogged  with  mud  that  the  somewhat  sorry 
looking  animal  could  only  with  the  greatest 
difficulty  drag  along  the  vehicle.  It  stopped 
before  the  tavern,  and  a  gentleman  alighted 
and  then  assisted  a  lady  to  do  likewise. 

"Ah,  there  they  are  at  last,"  muttered  the 
man  who  had  been  waiting,  as  he  hastened  for- 
ward to  join  the  new  comers. 

"You  are  late,  my  Lord  Buckhurst." 

"Your  pardon,  but  a  lady's  toilet  requires 
time,"  and  he  proceeded  to  present  "  Mr.  Kob- 
inson,  a  mercer  of  the  Strand,"  to  his  com- 
panion, Mistress  Eleanor  Gwynne,  who  was 
masked  and  closely  enveloped  in  a  voluminous 
mantle  with  the  hood  drawn  closely  over  the 
head. 

''Where  shall  we  go  for  supper?"  asked 
Buckhurst  when  the  ceremony  was  accom- 
plished. 

"That  is  for  fair  Mistress  Gwynne  to   de- 


A   SUPPER   WITH   ROYALTY.  29 

cide,"  gallantly  responded  Mr.  Robinson,  or  to 
give  him  his  true  title,  the  king. 

''What  do  you  say,  Nelly?" 

"  Oh,  as  for  me,"  came  in  musical  accents 
from  beneath  the  mask,  "  give  me  one  of 
the  Westminster  taverns.  These  Fleet  Street 
houses  furnish  entertainment  fit  for  neither 
man  nor  beast." 

"A  Westminster  tavern  be  it  then,"  said  the 
pretended  mercer,  advancing  to  offer  himself 
as  escort  to  the  actress ;  but  Buckhurst  was 
too  quick  for  him,  for  drawing  Nelly's  hand 
through  his  arm,  he  started  in  the  direction  of 
the  river,  leaving  his  sovereign  to  trudge  along 
by  himself. 

It  was  only  a  short  distance,  along  Water 
Lane,  to  White  Friars  Stairs,  where  they  had  no 
difficulty  in  procuring  such  a  conveyance  as  they 
desired.  Here  again  Buckhurst  came  off  the 
victor,  for  handing  Nell  in,  he  proceeded  to  seat 
himself  beside  her,  forcing  Charles  to  take  his 
place  at  the  other  end  of  the  boat.  The  king 
was  inwardly  chafing  at  his  lordship's  presump- 
tuousness,  but  he  determined  to  outwit  him  be- 
fore the  evening  was  over. 

Propelled  by  two  vigorous  oarsmen  the  boat 
glided  rapidly  along  the  smooth  bosom  of  the 
river,  which  was  crowded  with  crafts  of  all  de- 
scription, bearing  gay  parties  of  merry-makers. 


30  NELL  GWYNNE. 

One  by  one,  the  many  splendid  and  famous 
buildings  with  which  the  banks  were  lined 
loomed  into  view  and  then  faded  away  in  the 
darkness.  Pembroke,  built  of  beautiful  stone, 
but  which  looked  more  like  a  prison  than  a 
residence;  Somerset,  where  lived  the  queen- 
mother;  Buckingham,  conspicuous  for  its  fine 
water-gate;  Northumberland,  broader  and 
higher  than  the  others,  with  four  little  brick 
towers,  one  at  each  corner ;  and  finally  the 
imposing  proportions  of  Westminster  itself, 
which  had  been  formerly  a  monastery,  but 
where  Parliament  now  assembled. 

Here  our  little  party  disembarked.  As  they 
crossed  the  Palace  Yard,  from  the  stone  tower 
at  the  north  entrance,  the  sonorous  bell,  known 
as  Great  Tom,  pealed  forth  the  hour  of  nine. 
Close  to  Westminster  were  two  ale-houses,  each 
in  high  repute  for  the  excellence  of  its  fare, 
both  solid  and  liquid,  and  bearing  the  startling 
names  of  "Heaven"  and  "Hell." 

"Which  one  shall  it  be,  Mistress  Gwynne?" 
asked  the  soi-disant  tradesman,  as  they  emerged 
into  the  open  place  where  the  taverns  were 
situated. 

"It  is  difficult  to  decide,"  replied  Nell,  de- 
murely. "  If  you  follow  me,  you  will  probably 
declare  yourselves  in  Heaven,  but  if  I  follow 
you,  I  shall  certainly  go  to  the  other  place." 


A   SUPPER   WITH   ROYALTY.  31 

"  No  place,  which  was  glorified  by  your  pres- 
ence, could  be  anything  but  paradise." 

"Indeed!  Suppose  we  try  if  that  be  true, 
and  so  let  us  go  to— ahem." 

And  so  to — ahem,  they  went.  If  the  nether 
region  at  all  resembles  the  tavern  which  had 
borrowed  its  name,  it  has  been  sadly  slandered 
and  must  be  a  very  comfortable  place  indeed. 
The  room  into  which  the  actress  and  her  two 
companions  were  shown  was  delightfully  bright 
and  cozy,  with  its  blazing  wood  fire,  its  crim- 
son draperies  and  its  really  handsome  oak  fur- 
niture. 

"There,  is  not  this  better  than  the  Rain- 
bow ? "  asked  Nell,  as  she  threw  off  her  cloak 
and  tossed  aside  her  mask. 

If  anything,  she  was  prettier  off  the  stage 
than  on.  Her  dress  was  plain,  but  exceedingly 
neat,  and  it  fitted  her  trim  figure  to  perfection. 
It  consisted  of  a  skirt  and  bodice  of  blue 
shalloon,  without  trimming  of  any  sort.  The 
sleeves  reached  to  the  elbow,  displaying  the 
ivory  shapeliness  of  her  arms,  and  about  her 
neck  was  a  broad  white  collar  edged  with 
narrow  lace.  Her  sunny,  rippling  hair  was 
gathered  back  loosely  and  tied  with  a  ribbon  of 
the  same  azure  hue  as  her  simple  gown. 

As  the  royal  connoisseur  of  womanis  charms 
gazed  upon  her  loveline'ss,  there  shone  in  his 


32  NELL   GWTNNE. 

eyes  an  admiration  which  he  made  no  attempt 
to  disguise.  "I  knew  I  was  not  mistaken,"  he 
exclaimed  fervidly.  "  In  spite  of  its  name,  this 
place  is  Heaven,  for  I  see  an  angel  before  me." 

Nell  flashed  one  swift  glance  at  him,  a  glance 
which  told  her,  however,  that  this  Mr.  Robin- 
son was  uncommonly  handsome,  and  she  was 
not  displeased  at  the  discovery,  for  the  volatile 
player  had  a  keen  eye  for  beauty,  especially 
when  it  assumed  a  masculine  form. 

"An  angel  with  sadly  bedraggled  wings,  I 
fear,"  she  answered,  half  jestingly,  half  seri- 
ously, as  she  turned  toward  the  fire,  and  lifting 
her  skirts  a  trifle,  rested  one  daintily  shod  foot 
upon  the  burnished  fender. 

"  What  will  it  please  your  worships  to 
order?"  asked  the  landlord,  a  rubicund  individ- 
ual with  a  lordly  paunch,  who  had  remained 
standing  obsequiously  at  the  door,  after  usher- 
ing his  guests  into  the  room. 

"A  slice  of  hung  beef  and  a  flagon  of  Burton 
ale  for  me,"  said  Nelly. 

" Tilly- vally,  dost  take  us  for  paupers!" 
ejaculated  Charles,  in  mock  dismay.  "Nay, 
nay,  landlord,  mind  her  not.  A  venison  pate, 
some  neats  tongues,  sweetmeats  and  plenty  of 
wine.  Uncork  the  Frontiniac,  the  Moselle  and 
the  bright  Claret.  Will  not  that  suit  your  lady- 
ship better  ?  "  he  added,  as  the  landlord  depart- 


A   SUPPER   WITH    ROYALTY.  3£ 

ed  to  fill  the  order,  beaming  at  the  thought  of 
the  profits  he  was  about  to  make. 

"  Well,  beef  and  ale  are  perhaps  not  exactly 
food  for  angels,"  retorted  Nelly,  with  a  glance 
into  the  smiling  face  at  the  other  side  of  the 
fireplace,  "  but  at  all  events,  they  are  English 
and  therefore  better  than  French  fripperies. 
However,  have  your  own  way." 

"You  are  loyal,  Mistress  Gwynne." 

"Loyal!"  was  the  enthusiastic  answer. 
"Loyal  to  the  tips  of  my  fingers.  I  revere 
England  and  I  love  his  Majesty,  though  they  do 
say  he  is  a  wild  devil,  but  I  suppose  that  comes 
from  his  association  with  Buckingham,  Roches- 
ter, and  you,  my  Lord  Buckhurst,  who  are  the 
worst  of  them  all." 

Here  to  Nell's  intense  surprise,  Mr.  Robinson 
burst  into  an  uproarious  fit  of  laughter,  in 
which  he  was  joined  by  Buckhurst,  who  had 
been  sitting  somewhat  moodily  apart. 

"Well,"  she  said,  "I  don't  know  why  my 
words  should  cause  such  merriment,  but  at  all 
events,  it  is  an  agreeable  change  in  you,  my 
lord  of  sulky  countenance." 

At  this,  Buckhurst  rose  and  approached  the 
fireplace. 

" That's  well,"  continued  Nelly.  "Heavens, 
man,  this  is  to  be  a  feast,  not  a  funeral  I  Your 
friend  is  much  more  entertaining." 

8 


34  NELL  GWYNNE. 

And  with  a  coquettish  smile,  she  extended 
her  hand,  which  Charles  was  not  slow  to  seize. 

*'  There,  there,  you  need  not  squeeze  it  so  vio- 
lently." 

Buckhurst  frowned,  which  Nell  observing, 
exclaimed,  saucily  : 

"  I'  faith,  my  lord,  no  jealous  vapors  here. 
Nell  Gwynne  is  no  man's  exclusive  property." 

Before  Buckhurst  could  reply,  the  landlord 
entered,  followed  by  two  white-aproned  drawers 
bearing  the  supper,  which  looked  and  smelt 
most  appetizingly. 

"  Ah,"  said  the  king,  approvingly,  "  I  see  this 
is  the  house  for  the  true  stuff." 

"  The  true  stuff  !  "  echoed  the  landlord,  proud- 
ly. "  Indeed  it  is.  Why,  this  is  a  house  fre- 
quented by  kings  and  courtiers." 

"The  devil!"  thought  Charles.  "  Can  the 
fellow  know  us? "  And  he  exchanged  a  glance 
with  Buckhurst;  but  mine  host's  next  words 
dispelled  this  suspicion. 

"  Ay,  and  rogues,  too,  highwaymen  and  house- 
breakers ;  all  knaves,  both  of  high  and  low  de- 
gree, come  here,  and " 

"  That  will  do,  my  good  man.    Fill  the  bowls." 

"With  your  pleasure,"  said  the  landlord,  a 
trifle  offended  at  having  his  loquacity  thus  cut 
short. 


A  SUPPEB  WITH   ROYALTY.  35 

"  No,  not  with  our  pleasure,"  said  Charles, 
with  a  laugh,  "  but  with  good  wine." 

When  the  host  and  his  men  had  retired,  and 
Nell  was  seated  at  the  bountifully  spread  table, 
with  the  king  on  one  side  and  Buckhurst  on  the 
other,  Charles  raised  a  glass  filled  with  ruby 
liquid,  and  said : 

"  My  lord,  as  it  is  our  good  fortune  to  have 
with  us  so  brilliant  a  representative  of  the  vota- 
ries of  Thespis,  I'll  give  you:  Success  to  the 
stage,  and  a  health  to  the  players  1 " 

"  Success  to  the  stage  !  "  repeated  Nelly,  after 
the  toast  had  been  drunk.  "I  hope  it  with  all 
my  heart,  but  to-night  was  the  first  good  house 
we  have  had  in  many  a  day  and  all  because  his 
majesty  deigned  to  be  present.  The  king  and 
the  courtiers  have  so  many  things  to  amuse 
them,  so  many  other  diversions,  that  they  sel- 
dom think  of  us  poor  players,  though  we  are  by 
special  privilege  denominated  His  Majesty's 
Servants.  Ah !  would  the  king  but  condescend 
to  enjoy  more  often  the  pleasures  of  the  theatre 
His  Majesty's  Servants  would  be  very  thankful 
to  him." 

"He  will  do  so,  hereafter,"  exclaimed  Charles 
ardently.  "  After  this  night,  my  dainty  Flori- 
mel,  you  will  not  have  that  reproach  to  offer 
him." 


36  NELL  GWYNNE. 

"Eh!"  cried  Nell,  opening  her  gray  eyes 
wide  in  astonishment. 

"  I  mean,"  stammered  Charles,  in  embarrass- 
ment. ' « I  mean ' ' 

"He  means,"  interrupted  Buckhurst,  coming 
to  his  rescue,  "  he  means  that  his  majesty, 
having  once  seen  you,  cannot  fail  to  return 
again  and  again  to  the  scene  illumined  by  the 
brilliancy  of  your  genius." 

"Exactly.  I  thank  you,  my  lord,"  said 
Charles.  "  For  sure  such  talent  and  beauty 
were  never  before  united  in  one  person.  Those 
cheeks,  like  blooming  roses — : — " 

"Take  care,  Mr.  Robinson.  Roses  bear 
thorns,"  laughed  Nell,  raising  her  hand  armed 
with  its  pink  nails  warningly,  for  the  lips  of  her 
admirer  had  approached  dangerously  close  to  the 
peach-like  surface  he  was  praising. 

Buckhurst,  although  inwardly  raging,  did  not 
dare  to  protest,  but  he  resolved  to  do  all  that  he 
could  to  prevent  any  further  meeting  between 
the  king  and  the  actress.  His  usual  buoyancy 
entirely  deserted  him,  and,  consumed  by  jeal- 
ousy, he  remained  moody  and  silent  while 
the  other  two,  apparently  oblivious  of  his 
presence,  chattered  away  gaily.  Every  mo- 
ment, Charles  became  more  and  more  fasci- 
nated by  his  fair  companion.  Her  gaiety  of 
spirits  chimed  in  well  with  his  own  lightheart- 


A   SUPPER   WITH   ROYALTY.  37 

edness ;  the  airiness  of  her  wit  and  the  brilliancy 
of  her  badinage,  together  with  her  irresistible 
beauty,  completely  captivated  him.  Nell,  on 
her  part,  was  no  less  pleased  with  her  new  ac- 
quaintance; a  strange,  hitherto  unknown  feel- 
ing was  stirring  at  her  heart,  a  feeling  which 
half  charmed,  half  frightened  her.  In  her 
varied  career,  her  morals  had  been  none  of  the 
best.  She  had  had  many  love  affairs,  but  no 
spark  of  real  love  had  ever  been  kindled  in  her 
bosom.  Like  a  butterfly,  she  had  flitted  from 
flower  to  flower,  but  nestled  in  the  heart  of 
none.  She  was  vaguely  conscious  that  this 
evening  was  the  dawn  of  a  new  life  to  her.  She 
listened  to  this  mercer  of  the  city,  as  she  sup- 
posed him  to  be,  with  an  interest  that  no  gallant 
of  the  court  had  ever  been  able  to  inspire  in  her, 
and  never  had  she  herself  been  more  brilliant 
and  fascinating. 

"Sing  to  us,  Nell,"  suddenly  interrupted 
Buckhurst,  in  a  voice  thick  with  the  manifold 
potations  he  had  indulged  in  to  drown  his  jeal- 
ous uneasiness. 

Nell  started.  She  had  entirely  forgotten  his 
very  existence,  and  yet,  hitherto,  Buckhurst 
had  been  her  favorite  amidst  the  many  who  had 
paid  her  their  court. 

"Yes,  sing  to  us,  Mistress  Gwynne,"  seconded 
the  king. 


88  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"  I  will,  on  one  condition." 

"  Name  it.     It  is  granted  in  advance." 

"  Do  not  call  me  Mistress  Gwynne.  I  am 
Nelly  to  my  friends,  and  Nelly  I  would  be  to 
you." 

<<  Then  sing,  Nelly,"  said  Charles,  in  those 
low,  caressing  tones  he  knew  so  well  how  to 
employ.  "  But  I  would  fain  be  something 
nearer  than  friend." 

Nell  blushed,  and  then  grew  hotly  indignant 
at  herself  for  having  done  so.  What,  Nell 
Gwynne  coloring  like  a  country  wench  at  the 
most  ordinary  words  of  gallantry.  Fie  1  Fie  1 
This  folly  must  be  stopped. 

"What  shall  I  sing?  "  she  asked  abruptly. 

"Anything.  Any  song  issuing  from  those 
lips  would  gain  something  of  their  sweetness." 

"  Hang  the  man  ! "  thought  Nell.  "  I  am 
sorely  afraid  that — "  and  then  thrusting  away 
the  thought,  she  began  to  sing,  her  fresh,  clear 
voice  filling  the  room  with  its  exquisite  melody  : 

"  Here's  a  health  unto  his  Majesty,  with  a  fa,  la,  la. 
Conversion  to  his  enemies,  with  a  fa,  la,  la ; 
And  he  that  will  not  pledge  his  health 
I  wish  him  neither  wit  nor  wealth, 
Nor  yet  a  rope  to  hang  himself, 

With  a  fa,  la,  la,  la, 

With  a  fa,  la,  la.  la." 


A   SUPPER   WITH   ROYALTY.  39 

"  'Fore  Gad,"  spluttered  Buckhurst,  who  was 
now  entirely  under  the  influence  of  the  fiery 
wine,  "  a  mosht  exshellent  song,  mosht  exshel- 
lently  shung,"  and  his  head  fell  forward  upon 
his  arms  which  were  resting  upon  the  table. 

Charles  looked  at  him  benignly  over  his 
shoulder  and  with  a  smile,  hummed  the  words 
of  the  old  song : 

"  Good  store  of  good  claret  supplies  everything 
And  he  that  is  drunk  is  as  great  as  a  king." 

"Well,  let  him  sleep,"  he  added.  "For  my 
part  I  am  only  too  well  pleased.  We  can  talk 
in  freedom  now."  And,  moving  his  chair  close 
to  that  of  Nell,  he  took  one  of  her  hands  in  his. 
She  cast  down  her  eyes,  in  real  or  affected  mod- 
esty, but  she  did  not  attempt  to  release  herself. 

"  Nelly,"  murmured  Charles,  "  Nelly,  I  love 
you." 

Poor  Nell's  heart  was  fluttering,  but  she 
answered  bravely  enough : 

"  Love  !  Bah !    •  They  all  tell  me  that." 

"  But  not  with  my  truth.  Ah,  believe  in  the 
ardor  of  my  flame." 

"I  fear,  like  many  flames,  it  will  end  in 
smoke.  Love !  Pish  1  You  have  known  me 
me  only  an  hour." 

"What  does  love  know  of  time?  I  have 
known  you  since  the  beginning  of  the  world. 


40  NELL 

Nay,  sweet,  do  not  turn   away   your   eyes.     I 
could  gaze  in  them  forever." 

"  You  must  have  courage  to  do  that." 

"Why?" 

.    "  Because  you  see  yourself  in  them,"  was  the 
saucy  response. 

"  Odds  fish,  am  I  so  ugly  as  that?  Then  do 
not  look  at  me,  but  listen  to  the  pleadings  of 
my  heart  that  beats  only  for  you." 

"  Mr.  Robinson,  you  must  have  had  an  infi- 
nite deal  of  practice  to  make  love  so  well." 

"  I  swear  to  you  I  never  spoke  words  of  love 
to  woman  before." 

The  dimples  in  Nell's  cheek  deepened,  and 
she  glanced  at  him  with  a  mischievous  light  in 
her  sparkling  eyes.  Then  the  ripple  of  her 
laughter  rang  out,  so  fresh,  so  joyous,  so  con- 
tagious, that  Charles  perforce  joined  in,  and  for 
a  moment  or  two  they  laughed  together  with 
the  careless,  happy  gaiety  of  two  children. 

"  Nay,  we  will  talk  seriously,  then,"  said 
Charles,  at  last.  "Putting  aside  my  love, 
which  is  true  enough,  Heaven  knows,  I  am 
rich,  abundantly  rich.  Nelly,  I'll  pour  heaps  of 
wealth  into  your  lap ;  you  shall  be  studded  with 
diamonds ;  music  shall  float  about  you ;  serv- 
ants shall  bow  before  you ;  all  things  shall 
come  as  you  wish;  you  shall  be  a  queen  al- 
most." 


A    SUPPER   WITH    ROYALTY.  41 

"  Almost !  Saving  the  coronation  and  a  few 
such  ceremonies." 

"  You  are  cruel.     T  love  you." 

The  three  words,  I  love  you,  were  an  old,  old 
story  to  her.  They  had  been  repeated  to  her  by 
men  of  all  ages  and  stations,  but  never  before 
had  they  spoken  to  her  heart.  She  was 
alarmed  and  she  longed  to  be  alone.  Under 
the  empire  of  a  new,  irresistible  force,  she  rose 
and,  before  Charles  could  guess  her  intention, 
rang  the  bell. 

"What  is  it  you  want?"  he  asked,  in  some 
surprise. 

"  I  want  to  go  home." 

"  Home !  But,  Nelly,  we  must  not  part  in 
this  way.  You  are  not  offended?  " 

No  answer. 

"  Forgive  me,  if  I  spoke  too  soon  or  too 
strangely.  But  through  gazing  in  your  eyes, 
I  somehow  lost  my  head.  I  was  blinded  by 
light.  Is  not  the  excuse  a  fair  one  ?  " 

'•No;  an  owl  would  have  made  as  good," 
was  the  snappish,  though  not  ill-humored  reply. 

A  knock  at  the  door  prevented  any  further 
colloquy. 

Nell  cried  "Come  in!"  and  the  landlord  en- 
tered. 

"  Did  your  worship  wish  the  bill  ?  " 

"Yes,  bring  your   bill  at   once,"    interposed 


42  NELL   GWYNISTE. 

Nell,  imperiously.     "It  is  late,  and  I  wish  to  go 
home." 

The  landlord  bowed  and  retired.  As  he  did 
so,  a  sudden,  horrible  thought  struck  the  king. 
In  changing  his  clothes  he  had  forgotten  to 
take  any  money,  and  he  had  not  a  penny  to 
bless  his  name  with.  But,  fortunately,  Buck- 
hurst  was  there.  Approaching  the  sleeping 
nobleman,  he  shook  him  roughly. 

"  Buckhurst !     Buckhurst !  wake  up." 
Buckhurst    stirred    heavily,    and    raised,  his 
head,  his  eyes  blinking  drowsily. 

"  Buckhurst !     Rouse  yourself,  man." 
"  Your  Majesty !     I  ask  your  majesty's  par- 
don—I  " 

"  Hush  ! "  commanded  the  king.  But  it  was 
too  late.  Nell  had  overheard.  She  gave  one 
quick,  searching  look  at  the  face  of  the  man 
she  had  known  as  Mr.  Robinson,  and  the  truth 
was  revealed  to  her.  She  had  been  supping  with 
her  lord  and  sovereign  the  king  of  England. 
She  knew  now  why  that  face  had  been  vaguely 
familiar  to  her,  although  for  the  life  of  her  she 
had  not  been  able  to  remember  where  she  had 
seen  it  before.  She  had  frequently  seen  the 
king's  portraits,  and  Buckhurst's  unguarded 
words  had  betrayed  the  original.  As  a  full 
realization  of  it  all  came  over  her  she  turned  a 


A   SUPPER   WITH   ROYALTY.  43 

shade  pale  and  a  troubled  look  shone  in  her 
eyes. 

"  Here  is  the  bill,  sir,"  said  the  landlord,  en- 
tering and  presenting  a  slip  of  paper. 

Charles  took  the  bill  and  drew  Buckhurst  a 
little  one  side.  The  latter  was  now  fully  awake, 
and,  having  slept  off  the  fumes  of  the  wine,  was 
almost  himself  again. 

"Pay  this  fellow,  will  you?"  said  Charles,  in 
a  low  tone. 

"Pay!"  stammered  Buckhurst,  in  dismay. 
-Pay,  I— I " 

"  Yes,  pay.     I  will  return  it  to  you." 

"But — but — has  your  majesty  no  money?  I 
have  none." 

"  Odds  fish !  And  I  haven't  my  own  likeness, 
even  in  copper.  Here's  a  pretty  mess !  And 
the  bill,"  holding  it  up  to  the  light,  "is  four 
pounds,  three  shillings  and  sixpence.  Four 
pounds,  three  shillings  and  sixpence  ! "  he  added 
aloud. 

"Venison  is  high,  and  you  commanded  the 
choicest  wines,"  remarked  the  landlord,  apolo- 
getically. 

"I  am  not  complaining  of  the  bill,"  began 
Charles,  at  his  wits'  end.  "  But  the  fact  is  I — 
that  is,  we " 

In  an  instant  the  landlord's  whole  demeanour 
changed.  This  was  not  the  first  case  of  the 


44  NELL  GWY1STNE. 

kind  Tie  had  had  to  deal  with,  and  he  was  quick 
to  guess  at  the  reason  of  his  guest's  hesitation. 

"Oh,  I  see,"  he  said,  roughly,  "that  your 
stomach  had  not  taken  counsel  of  your  pocket. 'y 

Nelly  had  been  watching  the  scene,  and  was 
too  quick-witted  not  to  take  in  the  situation. 
Her  sense  of  humor  was  very  keen,  and  in  spite 
of  the  trepidation  and  dismay  she  felt  at  the 
discovery  of  her  would-be  lover's  identity,  she 
could  not  but  enjoy  the  ludicrousness  of  the 
situation  in  which  he  found  himself.  Her  love 
of  fun  for  the  moment  overpowered  all  other 
considerations,  and  stepping  forward,  she  calmly 
took  the  account  from  Charles'  hand. 

"Why,  what  is  all  this?"  she  said,  with  the 
most  innocent  manner  in  the  world.  "The  bill? 
Oh,  well,  pay  the  good  man.  Four  pounds, 
three  and  sixpence  !  Why,  'tisn't  a  grain  from 
one  of  the  heaps  of  gold  to  be  poured  into  my 
lap." 

"The  fact  is,"  said  Charles,  awkwardly, 
"both  his  lordship  here  and  myself  have  for- 
gotten our  purses." 

"Well,"  said  Nelly,  in  the  same  ingenuous 
tone,  but  with  just  a  little  undercurrent  of 
malice,  "if  you  have  no  money,  leave  one  of 
the  diamonds  with  which  I  was  to  be  be- 
sprinkled. A  very  little  one  would  serve  to 
pay  the  account." 


A   SUPPER   WITH   ROYALTY.  45 

Charles  did  not  know  what  to  reply.  He 
^would  almost  have  given  one  of  the  crown 
jewels  to  have  been  well  out  of  the  scrape. 

"  I'm  sure  the  charges  are  most  reasonable," 
continued  Nell,  now  quite  mistress  of  herself 
once  more,  and  enjoying  the  whole  affair  with 
the  utmost  zest.  "  A  venison  pasty,  seven  and 
eightpence.  I  don't  see  how  deer  can  be  sold 
so  cheaply,  unless  it  was  stolen  from  one  of  the 
royal  parks."  A  smile  stole  over  Charles'  face 
at  the  thought  of  being  dunned  to  pay  for  his 
own  property.  "Neat's  tongues,  four  and  six. 
Very  little,  indeed.  Sugar  sops — hum-hum — 
claret  —  Frontiniac  —  Moselle  — hum-hum — with 
bread  and  wax  candles,  the  whole  amounting  to 
four  pounds,  three  shillings  and  sixpence  of 
his  majesty's  current  money." 

"  Most  decidedly  of  his  majesty's  money," 
thought  the  king,  "if  his  majesty  only  had  it." 

"  Come,  come,  Mr.  Robinson,"  said  Nell, 
turning  upon  him  her  laughing  eyes,  "  as  they 
say  in  the  play-book,  pay  the  Jew  his  principal 
and  let  him  gro." 

"I  am  no  Jew,"  growled  the  landlord,  who 
was  now  pretty  well  out  of  patience,  "but  a 
plain-spoken,  simple  Christian.  Nevertheless, 
I  will  go  on  receipt  of  my  money." 

Charles  cast  an  appealing  glance  at  Buck- 
hurst,  which  was  met  only  with  a  despondent 


46  NELL  GWYNNE 

shake  of  the  head.  Then  he  turned  again  to 
the  landlord. 

"The  fact  is,"  he  said  slowly,  "I  must  make 
a  friend  of  you." 

"  Not  for  credit,"  retorted  mine  host  sturdily. 
"If  you  do  not  pay  up  at  once,  I'll  have  you 
put  in  limbo." 

"  Give  the  man  your  place  of  residence  and 
let  him  call  for  his  money,"  suggested  Nell, 
with  malice  aforethought,  for  she  knew  right 
well  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  act  upon  her 
hint. 

"  Have  you  a  reputable  place  of  residence  ? '" 
asked  the  landlord,  doubtfully. 

At  this  question,  both  Charles  and  Buck- 
hurst,  in  spite  of  all  their  efforts,  could  not  re- 
frain from  laughing,  which  action  only  served 
to  increase  the  landlord's  irritation.  But  he 
knew  that  he  would  gain  nothing  by  venting 
his  anger  and  so  he  had  recourse  to  stratagem. 

"I  might  give  you  time,"  he  said  slowly,  " if 
you  are  sure  that  you  will  pay." 

"  Absolutely  sure,"  replied  Charles,  eagerly. 
"Besides,  I  will  reward  you  with " 

"Gold,  diamonds  and  music  floating  about 
him,"  murmured  wicked  Nelly,  just  loud 
enough  for  the  king  to  hear. 

"If  you  will  open  yonder  door,"  said  the, 
landlord,  "you  will  find  a  passage  leading  to 


A  SUPPER   WITH   ROYALTY  47 

my  partner's  office.  If  he  consents  to  release 
you  on  your  promise  to  pay,  I  will  agree." 

"Blockhead!"  ejaculated  Charles.  "Why 
didn't  you  say  so  before?"  And,  followed 
by  Buckhurst,  he  strode  toward  the  door,  flung 
it  open  and  passed  through. 

As  soon  as  they  were  both  in  the  next  room, 
for  it  was  really  a  room  and  not  a  passage,  the 
landlord  rushed  to  the  door,  slammed  it  to,  and 
bolted  it  securely. 

Instantly  there  came  a  thunderous  pounding 
upon  the  panels,  accompanied  by  angry  de- 
mands to  be  released. 

Nell,  choking  with  laughter,  threw  herself 
down  in  one  of  the  chairs,  and  gave  full  vent  to 
her  mirth.  As  soon  as  she  could  control  her 
merriment,  she  beckoned  the  landlord  to  ap- 
proach. 

"  Your  bill  is  fouT  pounds,  three  shillings  and 
sixpence,  I  believe,"  she  said. 

"Yes,  your  ladyship." 

"  Oh,  I  am  no  ladyship.  Give  me  my  proper 
title — the  Abbess  of  Drury  Lane.  Well," 
drawing  a  well-filled  purse  from  her  pocket,  "  I 
suppose  yt»u  must  be  paid.  Here — one — two 
— three — four — three  shillings  and  sixpence. 
Now,  receipt  the  bill." 

The  landlord,  with  profuse  thanks,  did  as  he 
wap  bid. 


48  NELL   GWYISTNE. 

"  Now,  retire  and  order  me  a  cab  at  once.  I 
will  release  your  prisoners." 

The  man,  now  thoroughly  satisfied,  bowed 
low  and  left  the  room. 

"Varlet!"  came  from  the  room  beyond. 
"Let  us  out  or  we  will  pull  the  house  down 
about  your  ears." 

"Oh,  pray  don't,"  cried  Nell,  in  her  ringing 
voice,  "  at  least,  until  I  can  get  out  of  it." 

As  she  spoke,  she  unbolted  and  opened  the 
door.  Charles  and  Buckhurst  rushed  into  the 
room. 

"  Where  is  the  cheating  villain  ?"  exclaimed 
Buckhurst.  "  He  shall  pay  dearly  for  this." 

"Oh,  best  let  him  alone,"  replied  Nell,  coolly, 
"  your  bill  is  paid.  Let  that  suffice,  although,  I 
vow,  it  is  scarce  polite  to  invite  a  lady  to  supper 
and  make  her  pay  the  score.  However,  I  bear 
no  malice." 

"Nelly,"  murmured  the  king,  "  you  have  done 
me  a  great  service,  and,  for  all  your  incredulity, 
you  shall  have  those  diamonds  yet." 

"I  should  have  been  home  long  ago,"  said 
Nell,  paying  no  attention  to  the  remark.  "  My 
lord  Buckhurst,  will  you  kindly  see  if  my  cab  is 
at  the  door?" 

Buckhurst  was  obliged  to  obey,  although  he 
had  no  fancy  for  leaving  her  alone  with  the 
king  even  for  a  moment. 


A   SUPPER   WITH   ROYALTY.  49 

"Nelly,  you  are  one  in  a  thousand,"  said 
Charles  when  Buckhurst  had  disappeared,  "and 
I  love  you." 

"  So  you  have  said  more  than  once  this  even- 
ing." 

"And  I  will  prove  it,  too.  To  show  you  my 
sincerity,  I  will  tell  you  a  secret,  a  secret  to  be 
sure  which  you  must  know,  sooner  or  later. 
Listen.  I  am  not  the  simple  tradesman  you  sup- 
pose me." 

Nell  started,  but,  immediately  recovering  her- 
self, she  asked  with  well  feigned  surprise  : 

"  Indeed !     Who  are  you,  then  ?  " 

"The  king!" 

This  announcement  certainly  did  not  produce 
the  effect  that  Charles  had  expected,  for,  acting 
better  even  than  she  had  done  on  the  stage, 
Nell  burst  into  a  musical  peal  of  laughter. 

"  Oh,  Lud  ! "  she  cried.  "To  be  sure,  a  king 
without  a  crown.  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  His  majesty 
would  not  be  complimented  if  he  could  hear 
you." 

"But  I  assure  you,"  said  Charles,  seriously, 
"I  am  speaking  the  truth.  I  am  the  king." 

"Then,  if  you  are  the  king,"  she  retorted, 
mocking  his  grave  tones,  "  I  pray  your  majesty 
to  do  something  for  us  poor  players." 

"  There  is  one  player,  rich  beyond  compare  in 
her  beauty,  both  of  mind  and  person,  for  whom 


50  NELL   GWYKNE. 

I  would  gladly  do  anything.  Do  not  be  cruel 
to  me,  Nelly.  Tell  me  when  I  may  see  you 
again." 

"  I  am  at  the  theatre  every  night,  and  surely 
the  first  gentleman  of  the  kingdom  will  experi- 
ence no  difficulty  in  persuading  Killigrew  to  ad- 
mit him  to  my  tiring  room." 

"  I  shall  be  there,  Nelly,"  he  exclaimed,  pas- 
sionately; "I  shall  be  there  to-morrow  night." 

Nell  flushed  beneath  the  ardor  of  his  gaze, 
but  still  smiling,  she  managed  to  answer  in  the 
same  jesting  tone  : 

"I  shall  expect  you  then.  But  I  hear  the 
rumble  of  wheels.  So,"  with  a  sweeping  cour- 
tesy, which  for  grace  and  elegance  would  have 
done  no  discredit  to  the  finest  of  the  court  ladies, 
"so  farewell  until  to-morrow,  Sire  /" 

And  before  Charles  could  utter  a  word  of  pro- 
test at  her  sudden  departure,  the  airy,  dainty, 
radiant  creature  had  vanished,  leaving  the  king 
a  prey  to  the  mingled  tortures  and  delights 
which  that  little  rascally  blind  boy  Cupid  was 
constantly  inflicting  upon  his  too  susceptible 
and  alas,  ever  inconstant  heart. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LA   BELLE   STUART. 

THE  palace  of  Whitehall,  a  heritage  of  the 
time  of  the  Tudors,  had  witnessed  more 
thrilling  and  varied  scenes,  scenes  of  joy  and 
revelry,  scenes  of  sorrow  and  despair,  than  per- 
haps any  of  the  other  famous  buildings  of  Lon- 
don. Situated  almost  at  the  extreme  end  of  the 
city,  it  occupied  a  large  amount  of  ground,  but 
it  was  very  low,  built  of  brick,  and  with  no 
architectural  pretensions  whatever.  It  was  in 
the  form  of  a  hollow  square,  and  the  enclosed 
space  was  laid  out  as  a  garden,  in  the  center  of 
which  rose  a  good  sized  pavilion  in  the  Greek 
style,  the  pure  white  marble  of  which  it  was 
built  forming  an  agreeable  contrast  to  the  green 
of  the  shrubbery  and  the  red  walls  of  the  palace 
itself. 

One  morning,  about  a  week  after  the  king's 
first  meeting  with  Mistress  Gwynne,  there  were 
gathered  together  in  the  matted  gallery,  an 
apartment  of  noble  proportions  overlooking  the 
gardens,  a  score  or  so  of  people,  waiting  to  prof- 

51 


52  NELL   GWYSTNE. 

f  er  petitions  of  various  nature  to  the  king.  The 
matted  gallery  was  the  place  where  on  certain 
days  Charles  was  supposed  to  give  public  audi- 
ences, although  the  indolent  monarch  appeared 
or  not  as  it  happened  to  suit  his  pleasure. 

Seated  at  a  table  at  one  end  of  the  room  was 
Lord  Shaftesbury,  busily  engaged  with  a  for- 
midable mass  of  documents.  The  men,  high  in 
the  councils  of  the  king,  had  no  sinecure,  for  his 
majesty  hated  public  business,  and  as  a  rule  left 
everything  to  the  heads  of  the  various  depart- 
ments. When  he  chose  to  exercise  it,  however, 
he  showed  more  observation  and  a  keener  and 
truer  judgment  of  men  than  one  would  have  im- 
agined from  the  easy  and  careless  manner  that 
was  natural  to  him.  His  councillors  were  not 
always  of  the  best,  for  his  necessities  often  com- 
pelled him  to  select  such  persons  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  nation's  affairs  as  were  more 
suited  for  his  present  purpose  than  approved  of 
by  his  discernment.  Like  all  the  members  of 
his  charming,  unhappy  family,  it  was  his  weak- 
ness to  be  easily  imposed  upon  and  to  trust  too 
much  on  all  occasions  to  others.  Shaftesbury, 
however,  was  a  faithful,  conscientious  servant, 
save  that  he  had  somewhat  too  keen  an  eye  for 
his  own  interests ;  and  although  the  heavy  con- 
versation of  the  nobleman  bored  him,  Charles 
thoroughly  appreciated  his  worth. 


LA   BELLE   STUART.  53 

Near  a  broad  open  window,  which  looked  out 
upon  the  gardens,  stood  Lord  Buckhurst,  Sir 
George  Etherege  and  Sir  Thomas  Ogle,  the 
latter  a  pronounced  dandy,  but  with  more  good 
sense  than  his  foppish  manner  would  presage. 
The  three  were  staunch  friends,  and  the  esca- 
pades of  which  they  had  been  the  joint  heroes 
would-fill  a  good  sized  volume. 

"Tell  me,  Harry,"  Ogle  was  saying,  in  the 
high  pitched  voice  which  he  affected,  "what 
brings  you  to  court  ?  Your  laziness  sheds  the 
light  of  his  countenance  too  rarely  upon  this 
classic  place." 

"I  want  a  ship,"  replied  Buckhurst,  with  a 
sigh.  "  To  fight  the  Dutchmen  will  be  a  diver- 
sion. I  scarce  know,  however,  how  to  bring 
my  suit  to  his  majesty's  notice,  now  that  the 
influence  of  the  Duchess,  who  stood  my  friend, 
has  waned." 

This  was  said  in  all  sincerity,  for  in  spite  of 
the  night  at  the  tavern  where  he  had  been  hail 
fellow  well-met  with  the  king,  Buckhurst  would 
have  considered  it  beneath  him  to  presume 
upon  that  fact.  In  this  he  was  very  unlike 
Buckingham,  who,  if  it  had  been  his  good  for- 
tune to  bring  the  king  and  a  pretty  actress 
together,  would  have  seen  that  he  was  well 
recompensed  for  his  trouble. 

"  It  is  true  that  Her  Grace  of  Portsmouth  is 


54  NELL   GWYNNE. 

wofully  out  of  favor,"  said  Etherege.  "They 
say  that  she  is  crying  her  pretty  eyes  out.  She 
might  well  spare  herself  the  trouble,  for  Charles 
is  too  good-natured  not  to  forgive  her  in  the 
end.  But,  meanwhile,  there  will  be  an  inter- 
regnum. I  wonder  who  the  next  royal  favorite 
will  be." 

"  'Tis  no  French  lady  of  quality  this  vttme," 
remarked  Ogle.  "  Have  you  not  observed  that 
His  Majesty  has  been  four  times  to  Drury  Lane 
in  twice  that  number  of  days,  and  each  time 
little  Nelly  played?  Will  Chiffinch  declares 
that  he  is  mad  with  love  for  the  fresh  little 
rogue." 

"It's  a  lie!"  exclaimed  Buckhurst,  fiercely. 

"How!"  cried  Ogle,  clapping  his  hand  upon 
his  sword-hilt. 

"Of  that  knave,  Chiffinch,"  added  Buck- 
hurst,  recovering  his  composure. 

"  Here  comes  Sam  Pepys  across  the  garden," 
said  Etherege.  "  Let's  ask  him.  He'll  be  cer- 
tain to  know  all  the  latest  gossip." 

Followed  by  a  slim  youth  of  a  serious  cast  of 
countenance  and  clothed  in  sombre  black,  Pepys 
entered  the  room  by  another  window  and  ap- 
proached Shaftesbury. 

"  Bear  yourself  easily,  John,"  he  whispered, 
an  admonition  which  failed  of  its  effect,  for  a 
being  more  awkward  and  ungainly  than  his 


LA  BELLE   STUART.  55 

companion  could  scarcely  be  imagined.  «<  My 
lord,"  he  continued  aloud,  addressing  the  Lord 
Privy  Seal,  "  allow  me  to  introduce  to  your  no- 
tice my  brother  from  the  University.  A  modest 
boy  for  whom  I  crave  your  lordship's  indulg- 
ence. I  had  a  word  to  say  to  your  lordship 
touching  the  fleet  and  the  payment  of  the 
sailors." 

"Another  time,  sir,  another  time,"  replied 
Shaftesbury,  shortly.  "  I  have  other  business 
now." 

Pepys  turned  aw  .ay,  muttering  to  himself: 
"Ay,  ay,  it's  so  with  them  all.  Talk  of  money 
and  they're  deaf  as  a  posV 

Closely  followed  by  his  lt»nky  brother,  whose 
face  showed  the  frightened  awe  he  felt  at  being 
in  this  sacred  place,  he  crossed  the  apartment 
and  joined  Buckhurst  and  his  friends. 

"  Gentlemen  all,  your  servant.  My  brother, 
John,  who  has  come  to  seek  his  fortune  at 
court.  A  clever  lad,  clever,  though  with  scarce 
the  polish  I  would  wish." 

Buckhurst  smiled  kindly  at  the  blushing 
young  man. 

"With  you  as  his  champion,  good  master 
Pepys,  he  can  scarce  fail  of  success." 

"You  know  all  things,  Master  Pepys,"  broke 
in  Sir  Thomas  Ogle.  "  We  were  just  discussing 
who  would  be  the  next  beauty  to  bask  in  the 


56  NELL   GWY1STNE. 

sunshine  of  the  royal  pleasure.  It  is  report  that 
the  king  is  sighing  after  Nell  Gwynne." 

"I  tell  you,  it  cannot  be,"  ejaculated  Buck- 
hurst. 

"As  your  lordship  says,  it  is  quite  impos- 
sible," said  Pepys  quickly,  with  a  vivid  recol- 
lection of  a  previous  conversation  on  the  same 
subject.  "  No  !  No  !  take  my  word  of  it.  The 
new  ruler  of  the  king's  heart,  and  with  it  of  all 
Britain,  will  be  La  Belle  Stuart." 

"  I  have  heard  some  rumor  of  this." 

"And  rumor,  as  usual,  speaks  with  a  leaven 
of  truth.  His  majesty  is  mad  for  Lady  Frances, 
forever  getting  her  into  corners,  and " 

He  stopped  abruptly,  noticing  that  his  brother 
was  listening  with  round  eyes  and  wide-open 
mouth. 

"Further  off,  John,"  he  commanded,  with 
dignified  tone  and  imposing  manner.  "  We 
are  on  State  matters." 

The  poor  lad,  abashed,  shrank  back. 

"Speaking  of  angels,"  exclaimed  Etherege, 
who  was  nearest  the  window,  "here  comes  one 
who  if  not  exactly  in  that  category  hopes  to  ally 
himself  with  the  very  one  under  discussion." 

"The  Duke  of  Richmond!"  cried  Buckhurst, 
looking  over  his  friend's  shoulder.  "  So,  he  has 
arrived  at  last.  He  expected  to  be  here  some 
days  sooner." 


LA   BELLE    STUAKT.  57 

The  man  approaching  was  a  magnificent 
specimen  of  humanity.  Of  more  than  ordinary 
height,  he  carried  himself  with  a  marvellous 
combination  of  dignity  and  manly  grace.  His 
features  were  as  regular  and  clear  cut  as  those 
of  an  Apollo.  He  wore  his  own  brown  hair  and 
in  his  dark  eyes  shone  an  expression  of  fearless 
truth  and  honesty,  before  which  the  wily  court 
butterflies  had  more  than  once  quailed.  He  had 
just  arrived  in  town  from  Chatham  with  reports 
of  the  latest  engagement  of  the  Dutch.  But  it 
was  not  of  the  enemy  he  was  thinking  as  he 
crossed  the  shady  fragrant  garden  toward  the 
open  windows  of  the  matted  gallery.  His  heart 
was  beating  high  with  the  joy  of  anticipation, 
for  was  he  not  shortly  to  meet  once  more  the 
beacon  star  of  his  existence,  the  one  woman  of 
the  world  to  him,  his  first  love  and  his  last.  This 
was  Whitehall,  and  after  laying  his  flag  at  the 
feet  of  the  gracious  sovereign  it  was  his  delight 
to  serve,  a  look,  a  word  from  the  queen  of  his 
heart  would  repay  him  for  all  the  dangers 
through  which  he  had  passed. 

As  Richmond  entered  the  room  where  the 
courtiers  and  petitioners  were  waiting,  a  man 
detached  himself  from  a  group  a  short  distance 
away  and  advanced  toward  where  the  Duke  was 
receiving  the  greetings  of  Buckhurst  and  his 
companions.  He  was  a  strange  looking  indi- 


58  NELL  O  WYNNE. 

vidual,  gaunt  and  raw-boned,  with  a  cadave- 
rous complexion  and  deep-set  restless  eyes.  The 
severe  cut  and  sombre  hue  of  his  garments  en- 
hanced his  sinister  appearance. 

"Welcome  from  sea,  your  Grace,  laurels  and 
all,"  exclaimed  Sir  George. 

"  With  never  a  willow  among  them,"  added 
Ogle,  with  a  low  bow. 

"  I  thank  you,  gentlemen,"  replied  Richmond, 
and  there  was  an  undercurrent  of  sadness  in  his 
voice.  "  No  willow  among  them.  I  would  that 
it  were  so.  I  fear,  Sir  Thomas,  that  you  are  dis- 
posed to  be  merry." 

"And  why  should  he  not  be  so  ?  Has  he  not 
cause  ? "  fell  upon  their  ears  in  hollow,  solemn 
tones.  "The  Dutch  beating  us  at  sea;  the 
plague  preparing  to  scourge  us  again  on  shore ; 
and  the  King's  exchequer  empty.  Have  we  not 
all  rare  cause  for  merriment,  my  masters  ? " 

"  It's  that  fifth  monarchy  man,  Major  Wild- 
ing," muttered  Ogle  to  Etherege. 

"  The  scurvy  knave  ! "  replied  Ogle.  "  Such 
disloyal  villains  should  not  be  allowed  at 
Whitehall." 

"Cause  for  merriment!"  said  Buckhurst 
lightly,  turning  to  the  new-comer.  "At  least 
there's  some  merit  in  being  merry  under  the 
awful  shadow  of  Major  Wilding." 

"  Each  to  his  calling,  my  lord,"  was  the  stern 


LA   BELLE  STUART.  59 

response;  "you  thrust  with  your  tongue,  while 
I  wear  my  wit  here  much  at  your  service,"  and 
he  laid  his  hand  upon  his  sword. 

"His  Majesty  is  late,"  interposed  Richmond 
to  prevent  a  possible  quarrel.  "  I  long  to  be- 
hold his  countenance  again.  Indeed,"  he  added 
with  that  frankness  which  was  his  distinguish- 
ing characteristic,  "there  is  but  one  counte- 
nance here  that  I  more  desire  to  see." 

Etherege  and  Ogle  exchanged  significant 
glances. 

"Your  Grace,  perhaps,  may  have  a  double 
pleasure,"  remarked  the  former.  "You  may 
see  them  together." 

"That  is  not  impossible,"  replied  Richmond, 
simply,  not  at  all  understanding  the  meaning 
underlying  Etherege's  words.  "At  all  events, 
I  am  anxious  to  lay  the  Dutch  flag  I  have  at 
his  Majesty's  feet." 

"  Nay,"  said  Ogle,  "  that  should  be  laid  at  the 
feet  of  Britannia  who  figures  on  earth,  as  well 
as  on  the  British  half -pence  as  La  Belle  Stuart." 

"  The  King  has  been  a  hoarder  of  half -pence 
ever  since  the  coinage,"  laughed  Etherege. 
"It  is  an  excellent  device.  It  teaches  him 
economy." 

At  this,  the  Duke  could  not  fail  to  perceive 
what  was  being  hinted  at. 


60  NELL    GWYNNE. 

"Is  this  jesting,  gentlemen?"  he  asked, 
slowly. 

"  In  regard  to  the  ha'pence  ? "  queried  Ether- 
ege.  "  Nay,  it  is  the  sober  truth.  See ! "  diving 
into  his  pocket  and  drawing  forth  a  coin.  "  By 
my  faith,  it  is  a  miracle  that  I  have  one/j  Look, 
my  lord,  on  one  side,  the  head  of  his  Majesty, 
may  Heaven  preserve  him !  And,  on  the  other, 
the  portrait  of  Lady  Frances,  with  Britannia's 
helmet  and  trident." 

"  The  only  fault  the  King  has  to  find  with  the 
die,"  chuckled  Pepys,  who  had  been  listening 
with  rare  enjoyment,  as  he  always  did  when  it 
was  a  question  of  another's  discomfiture,  "the 
only  fault  that  the  King  has  to  find  with  the 
die  is  that  both  faces  are  not  on  the  same  side." 

Richmond  took  the  coin,  and  his  face  grew 
dark ;  yes,  there  was  no  doubt  of  those  features. 
They  were  those  of  the  woman  he  loved.  As  if 
it  had  been  an  adder,  he  flung  the  coin  from 
him,  far  out  into  the  garden.  He  started  to 
speak,  but  as  a  sudden  thought  struck  him,  he 
paused. 

This  was  done  simply  to  chafe  him,  and  he 
would  not  allow  Lady  Frances'  name  to  be 
fouled  by  a  quarrel  with  these  mischief -making 
popinjays. 

Mastering  his  indignation,  he  turned  abruptly 
away  and  walked  over  to  the  other  side  of  the 


LA   BELLE   STUART.  61 

apartment,  where  lie  stood  moodily  staring  out 
into  the  street. 

"  How  he  winced ! "  exclaimed  Ogle. 

"Every  shot  told !"  added  Etherege. 

Buckhurst  said  nothing.  He  was  thinking: 
"  Poor  fellow,  I  feel  for  him.  Those  tales  about 
Nelly  and  the  King  are  equally  distasteful  to 


me." 


Gloomy  Major  Wilding  also  was  silent,  but 
his  thoughts  were  busy.  He  belonged  to  that 
faction,  vastly  in  the  minority  to  be  sure,  but 
still  of  respectable  numbers,  which  had  never 
become  reconciled  to  the  Restoration,  and  he 
was  ever  on  the  look-out  for  recruits  to  aid  in 
the  overthrow  of  the  monarchy  and  the  rehabili- 
tation of  the  commonwealth.  In  fact,  it  was 
with  that  very  purpose  in  view  that  he  had 
come  to  Whitehall  that  morning.  The  Duke  of 
Richmond's  name  would  be  one  to  conjure  with. 
Although  his  Grace  was  known  to  be  of  un- 
swerving loyalty,  still,  jealousy  was  a  powerful 
passion.  At  all  events,  here  was  stuff  to  work 
upon. 

Pepys,  shadowed  closely  by  his  brother,  who 
seemed  afraid  to  be  left  by  himself,  slowly  made 
his  way  over  to  where  the  Duke  stood. 

"  It  is  a  duke,  John,"  he  observed,  in  a  low 
tone.  "  Observe  how  I  accost  him.  It  will  be 
a  lesson  to  you.  My  Lord  Duke." 


62  NELL   GWYNNE. 

Richmond  started  and  turned  from  his  absent 
contemplation  of  the  scene  without. 

"  May  it  please  your  Grace,"  proceeded  Pepys, 
oilily,  "  to  recall  your  humble  servant  to  your 
memory." 

"I  remember  you  well,"  replied  Richmond, 
courteously  enough.  "  Master  Samuel  Pepys,  I 
believe." 

"The  same,  your  Grace,"  answered  Samuel, 
with  a  gratified  smirk.  "  I  saw  your  Grace  at 
the  Admiralty  office,  before  the  Rupert  sailed, 
about  the  pay  of  the  sailors.  Sad,  grumbling 
knaves,  and  with  no  consideration  whatever. 
Why,  would  your  Grace  believe  it,  no  later  than 
yesterday  one  of  them  lay  dying,  beneath  our 
very  office  windows,  of  the  scurvy  ! " 

"  While  the  money  that  should  go  for  their 
food  and  medicine  is  lavished  on  these  butter- 
flies," retorted  Richmond  bitterly,  still  smarting 
under  the  stabs  he  had  received.  "  I  never 
come  to  Whitehall,  Master  Pepys,  that  I  do  not 
long  to  shake  the  gold  off  those  gentlemen's 
coats  into  my  poor  fellows'  pockets." 

Politic  Samuel  saw  that  he  was  on  the  wrong 
track,  so  he  hastened  to  change  the  subject. 
He  saw  an  opportunity  to  obtain  information ; 
he  had  an  insatiable  craving  to  be  the  first  to 
obtain  scraps  of  news  of  eveiy  description,  in 
order  to  retail  them  himself  and  jot  them  down 


LA  BELLE  STUAKT.  63 

in  his  diary,  for  which  latter  act  he  certainly 
deserves  the  undying  gratitude  of  an  amused 
and  instructed  posterity.  So,  he  asked : 

"But  how  about  this  late  action,  my  lord? 
Doubtless  it  was  a  victory,  but  I  cannot  hear  of 
any  prizes  being  taken." 

Richmond  smiled  sarcastically.  He  was  in 
an  ill  temper,  and  it  pleased  him  to  give  vent  to 
it.  Ordinarily,  he  would  not  have  been  so  free 
of  speech. 

"A  victory!  Oh,  yes!"  he  replied  in  an 
ironical  tone.  "We  have  lost  but  fourteen 
ships." 

"Mercy  on  me!"  cried  Pepys,  throwing  up 
his  hands  in  real  or  affected  dismay. 

"And  seven  run  aground  on  the  Galloper 
Sand,"  continued  Richmond,  in  the  same  satiri- 
cal strain ;  "  and  the  enemy  has  not  chased  us 
further  than  Chatham.  So,  past  doubt  it  is  a 
victory." 

"Alack-a-day,  and  there'll  be  more  ships  to 
find  and  no  money  to  pay  for  them.  Still,  it  is 
a  comfort  we  have  a  Dutch  flag." 

"  Let  us  make  the  most  of  it,  for  the  Dutch 
have  some  ten  of  ours  in  exchange." 

He  paused,  as  the  scenes  he  had  recently  wit- 
nessed rose  up  before  his  memory,  scenes  that 
were  a  disgrace  to  England  and  her  navy, 
where  the  Dutch  admiral,  Van  Tromp,  dared  to 


64  NELL  GWYMTE. 

sail  up  the  Thames,  with  a  broom  at  his  mast- 
head, while  vessels  bearing  the  English  flag  fled 
before  him,  like  chickens  at  the  approach  of  a 
hawk;  where  the  so-called  gentlemen  captains 
with  their  ships,  as  in  the  case  of  Barkely  and 
the  Swiftsure,  were  never  seen  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  fight  until  the  last  gun  was  fired. 

The  Duke  sighed  deeply  as  he  remembered  all 
this. 

"Ah,  Master  Pepys,"  he  said,  bitterly,  "  what 
can  you  expect  of  a  fleet  where  the  worst  dis- 
credit is  to  have  followed  the  sea  from  boyhood 
and  the  best  title  to  promotion  is  the  good  word 
of  a  royal  mistress." 

"Hush!  Hush,  your  Grace!"  exclaimed 
Pepys,  warningly. 

But  the  caution  came  too  late.  The  indis- 
creet speech  had  been  overheard.  Major  Wild- 
ing stood  at  his  side. 

"  Such  words  sound  strangely  here,  my  lord 
Duke,"  said  the  fanatical  republican,  gravely, 
"but  I  have  seen  the  time  when,  even  inside 
these  walls,  the  honor  of  England  had  more 
such  defenders  as  you.  And,"  he  added,  after 
a  slight  pause,  approaching  close  to  the  Duke,  so 
that  his  words  were  audible  to  him  alone, 
although  Mr.  Pepys  strained  his  ears  to  catch 
their  import,  "and  that  time  will  come  again 
when  you  see  a  man  at  the  head  of  this  nation 


LA   BELLE   STUART.  65 

instead  of  a  courtier's  puppet  and  a  mistress's 
plaything." 

Richmond  started,  and  upreared  his  head 
haughtily. 

"  I  forbid  you,  sir,  to  use  such  words  to  me," 
he  exclaimed. 

And  with  that  he  turned  his  back  completely 
upon  Wilding.  The  latter  bowed  and  retired  ; 
but  he  was  evidently  not  offended  at  this 
abrupt,  almost  insulting  dismissal,  for  a  mys- 
terious smile  played  about  his  thin  lips,  as  he 
moved  away. 

"  Your  Grace,"  began  Pepys. 

"  Oh,  pardon  me,"  exclaimed  Richmond,  turn- 
ing  suddenly.  "  I  had  forgotten  you  for  the 
moment." 

"With  your  grace's  permission,"  continued 
Pepys,  "that  was  a  dangerous  speech  of  yours. 
Still,"  he  added,  slyly,  for  he  was  itching  to 
give  the  duke  a  clearer  understanding  of  the 
rumors  anent  Lady  Frances  Stuart  and  the 
king,  and  to  see  how  he  would  bear  the  knowl- 
edge. "Still,  those  were  fine  days  when  gal- 
lant deeds  of  gentlemen  won  gentle  looks  from 
ladies.  To-day  our  ladies  think  more  of  a  man's 
leg  in  a  coranto  than  of  his  hand  in  battle." 

"Not  all,  Master  Pepys,"  retorted  the  duke, 
loyally.  "Thank  heaven  there  is  still,  at  least, 
one  worthy  to  nerve  a  man's  arm  in  battle,  one 


66  NELL   GWYNNE.. 

whom  an  English  gentleman  need  not  blush  to 
live  and  die  for." 

"Well,  I  trust  there  may  be,"  replied  •wily- 
Samuel,  hesitatingly  ;  "but  I  should  be  hard  put 
to  it  to  name  her ;  there's  no  telling  anything 
about  the  women  since  Lady  Bagot  turned  cruel 
and  Lady  Frances  kind." 

Richmond  flushed  a  dark  crimson.  Lady 
Frances  again !  What  did  it  mean  that  her 
revered  name  should  be  thus  lightly  on  the 
tongue  of  every  flutterer  about  the  court.  He 
would  find  out  and  at  once. 

Glancing  at  the  younger  Pepys,  who  had  been 
standing  silently  by  through  all  the  preceding 
scene,  he  laid  his  hand  upon  the  arm  of  the 
elder  one  and  led  him  further  into  the  embras- 
ure of  the  window,  while  the  newly  fledged 
clergyman,  for  John  Pepys  had  taken  holy 
orders,  gazed  in  bewildered  admiration  at  the 
sight  of  his  brother  thus  familiarly  treated  by 
a  duke. 

"  Come,  Master  Pepys,"  began  Richmond,  as 
soon  as  they  were  out  of  hearing,  "  I  have  been 
twelve  months  away  from  court,  as  you  know. 
What  was  this  you  were  saying  about — about 
Lady  Bagot?" 

Pepys  smiled  to  himself,  but  his  face  was  per- 
fectly serious  as  he  replied : 

"It  is  said  that  she  holds  the  Duke  of  York 


LA  BELLE   STUART.  67 

at  a  distance,  but  it  is  not  this  that  I  wonder  at 
the  most.  It  is  the  other  transformation." 

"What  other?" 

"Nay,  I  hate  tale-bearing,"  replied  the  old 
hypocrite,  "  but  they  do  say  that  Lady  Fran — " 

But  the  duke's  torturing  curiosity  was  des- 
tined not  to  be  satisfied  for  the  present,  at  least, 
for  at  that  moment  the  enormous  folding  doors 
at  the  extreme  end  of  the  gallery  were  thrown 
open,  and  a  page  announced  in  a  loud  voice  : 

"  His  Majesty,  the  King  ! " 

Like  a  true  courtier,  Pepys  with  his  brother 
trotting  behind  him,  hurried  away  to  pay  his  re- 
spects to  his  sovereign,  while  Richmond,  sick  at 
heart,  and  feeling  that  he  must  have  a  word 
with  his  lady-love,  before  he  could  meet  the 
king,  concealed  himself  behind  the  heavy  cur- 
tains of  the  window. 

All  those  who  had  been  waiting  more  or  less 
patiently  pressed  forward  a  little,  each  anxious 
for  an  opportunity  to  present  his  petition. 
Shaftesbury  pushed  aside  his  papers  and  rose 
to  his  feet. 

Etherege  glanced  scornfully  at  a  little  group, 
who  were  evidently,  from  their  dress  and  man- 
ner,  of  low  degree. 

"  How  good  of  his  majesty  to  be  thus  accessi- 
ble," he  said,  with  a  curl  of  the  lip.  "  He  is  in- 
deed the  father  of  his  people."  . 


68  NELL   GWYNKE. 

"  The  father  of  his  people,"  laughed  Buck- 
hurst,  to  whom  the  remark  was  addressed. 
"  Well,  yes,  he  is,  of  a  good  many  of  them,  at 
all  events." 

The  king  appeared,  attended  only  by  Will 
Chimnch,  his  secretary,  and  half  a  dozen  of 
those  spaniels  of  which  he  was  so  fond  and 
which  ever  since  have  borne  his  name. 

The  dogs  ran  here  and  there,  yelping  and 
snarling,  causing  annoyance  to  the  entire  com- 
pany. One  of  them  snapped  at  Buckhurst's  leg 
and  carried  away  a  piece  of  the  silk  hose  in 
which  the  limb  was  encased. 

"  Did  Tray  bite  you,  my  lord?  "  said  Charles, 
suppressing  a  smile.  "  Poor  little  fellow.  I 
trust  he  may  survive  it." 

Buckhurst  was  intensely  irritated.  There 
was  little  of  the  courtier  about  him,  and  with 
his  usual  bluntness,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  ex- 
hibit his  sentiments,  even  in  the  presence  of 
his  sovereign. 

"  Hang  the  cur!"  he  exclaimed  ruefully. 
"May  Heaven  bless  your  majesty,  but  may  it 
damn  your  dogs  ! " 

The  airy  monarch  laughed  good-humoredly, 
and,  seating  himself  at  Shaftesbury's  table,  pro- 
ceeded to  give  audience  to  the  various  petition, 
ers,  treating  each  with  that  easy  familiarity 
and  yet  perfect  courtesy  which  made  him  so 


LA   BELLE   STUART.  69 

popular  with  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
In  fact,  he  carried  his  politeness  to  an  excess 
for  he  was  perfectly  accessible  and  would  hear 
anything  against  anybody. 

The  vast  majority  of  the  cases  were  finally 
disposed  of,  the  king,  it  must  be  confessed, 
making  many  promises  which  he  would  prob- 
ably forget  to  keep. 

Pepys,  fancying  his  opportunity  had  come, 
advanced  with  a  paper  in  his  hand. 

"  Sire,"  he  began,  obsequiously,  "  I  bring  for 
your  Majesty's  approval  a  list  of  the  reserve 
fleet." 

Charles  hated  attending  to  public  business 
and  shirked  it  whenever  he  could. 

"  Really,  Master  Pepys,"  he  said  languidly, 
"I  am  not  the  Lord  High  Admiral.  This  is 
matter  for  His  Grace  of  York,  not  for  me." 

"Pardon  me,  your  Majesty,  but " 

"Well,  well,  leave  the  paper  there  and  I  will 
read  it — when  I  have  time." 

Pepys  retired,  discomforted,  and  was  succeed- 
ed by  Shaftesbury. 

"The  business  of  the  day's  Council,  your 
Majesty " 

"Odds  fish,  man,"  interrupted  the  king  im- 
patiently, "shall  I  not  hear  the  business  of  the 
council  at  the  council  ? " 

"  Let    us    hope   so,    your   Majesty,"   replied 


70  NELL   GTTYIsNE. 

Shaftesbury,  dryly;  "these  papers  await  your 
Majesty's  signature.  Shall  I  not  read  them  to 
you?"  he  added,  as  the  king  took  up  the  pen. 

"  What,  is  it  not  enough  that  I  sign  them  for 
you?"  retorted  Charles,  hastily  inscribing  his 
name  at  the  foot  of  each  paper.  •"  Traitor, 
would  you  kill  your  king  with  overwork? 
There,  Heaven  be  thanked,  that's  finished. 
Now,  Buckhurst,  it's  your  turn." 

As  he  spoke,  he  pushed  the  papers  aside,  and, 
picking  up  one  of  the  spaniels,  began  running 
his  white,  jewelled  hand  through  its  silken 
curls. 

"I  have  nothing  to  ask,  your  Majesty,"  re- 
plied Buckhurst,  "or,  if  I  have,  it  shall  come 
through  other  channels." 

"Faith,  you're  considerate,  and  I  will  re- 
member it  when  the  time  comes.  Come  oftener 
to  court,  my  lord.  By  my  life,  I  believe  that 
you  are  the  only  one  of  my  friends  who  does 
not  keep  a  tame  knave  for  whom  he  wants  a 
favor.  Well,  Etherege,  you  desire  a  favor,  I 
know  from  your  face." 

"Yes,  your  Majesty,  I  desire  an  order " 

"An  order!  Tilly -vally,  man,  I  hate  that 
worse  than  physic.  Can  not  your  order  wait? " 

Etherege  turned  away,  but,  as  he  did  so,  he 
said  to  Buckhurst,  loud  enough  for  the  king  to 
hear: 


LA  BELLE  STUART.  71 

"Nay,  then,  Davenant  will  have  his  way." 

Charles  pricked  up  his  ears. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  he  cried.     "  Davenant  ?  " 

"Yes,  sire,"  replied  Etherege,  "the  Duke's 
house  will  secure  pretty  Nelly." 

The  king  put  down  the  dog  with  which  he 
had  been  toying,  and,  for  the  first  time,  his  lazy 
expression  gave  place  to  one  of  interest. 

"Nelly!"  he  exclaimed,  vivaciously.  "But 
she's  hired  at  the  other  house  with  Killigrew." 

"  Yes,  your  Majesty,  but  Sir  William  outbids 
him  four-score  pounds,  and,  though  Nelly  be 
loyal,  yet  money  being  everywhere  scarce " 

The  king  was  now  thoroughly  roused  and  full 
of  animation. 

"Zounds!  these  are  grave  matters,  indeed, 
Sir  George.  What !  Rob  the  king's  playhouse, 
and  of  its  prettiest  wench.  Tempt  Nelly  from 
her  allegiance — this  must  be  looked  to.  Chif- 
finch,  send  a  messenger  to  bid  Davenant  and 
Killigrew  come  to  us  at  once  in  our  private 
closet.  Oh !  and  Chiffinch ! " 

Chiffinch  approached  close  to  the  table. 

"Do  not  forget,  Chiffinch,"  was  the  whis- 
pered injunction,  "to  deliver  that  note  at  once 
into  Lady  Frances'  own  hands." 

"  You  can  rely  upon  it,  your  Majesty." 

The  king  rose  and  whistled  the  dogs  to  fol- 
low him. 


72  NELL  GWYN1STE. 

"Carry  off  our  Nell  Gwynne!  No,  indeed, 
we  cannot  do  without  Nelly ! "  And  with  a 
brief  "good-morrow,  gentlemen,"  he  hurried 
from  the  room. 

Buckhurst  watched  him  with  frowning  brows 
and  compressed  lips.  The  king's  words  and 
manner  had  confirmed  his  worst  suspicions. 
Desperate  measures  were  imperative,  or  Nelly 
was  lost  to  him  forever. 

"Carry  off  Nelly!"  he  thought,  darkly. 
"So,  you  cannot  do  without  Nelly!  But  you 
shall,  though,  if  I  have  to  carry  her  off  my- 
self by  force.  Ah !  Why  not !  Etherege  and 
Ogle  will  stand  by  me,  I  am  sure." 

He  was  interrupted  in  his  reflections  by  the 
entrance  through  the  window  near  which  he 
was  standing  of  a  woman  who  was  a  vision 
of  stately  loveliness.  Her  features  were  as 
regular  as  those  of  a  Greek  statue,  her  hair 
was  of  an  exquisite  golden  hue,  and  her  eyes, 
large  and  liquid  as  those  of  the  ox-eyed  Juno, 
were  of  that  peculiar  shade,  between  turquoise 
and  sapphire,  to  be  found  only  in  the  corn- 
flower. In  her  whole  manner  and  bearing, 
there  was  that  indescribable  something  which 
proclaimed  her  one  highly  born  and  highly 
bred. 

With  a  courteous  salutation,  she  passed  the 
little  group  of  gentlemen  and  crossed  the  gal- 


LA  BELLE  STUART.  73 

lery  on  her  way  to  the  queen's  apartments. 
Just  as  she  was  opposite  the  window  where 
Richmond  was  concealed  the  curtains  parted 
and  the  duke  appeared  before  her. 

"  Frances ! " 

"Richmond!'* 

She  paused,  her  eyes  fixed  upon  his  face. 
The  rich  color  dyed  her  fair  cheeks  and  then 
faded  away,  leaving  her  pale  as  marble.  She 
made  a  movement  as  if  to  throw  herself  into 
his  arms,  and  then  drew  back,  suddenly  re- 
membering that  they  were  not  alone. 

"How  the  sight  of  her  noble  face  strikes 
scandal  dumb,"  thought  Richmond,  as  he 
eagerly  drank  in  the  beauty  of  this  one  peer- 
less woman,  who,  through  so  many  weary 
months  of  separation,  had  been  the  guiding 
star  of  his  existence. 

But  before  he  could  speak,  to  his  bitter  an- 
noyance they  were  joined  by  all  the  others  in 
the  room,  Pepys  and  his  brother,  Shaftesbury, 
Buckhurst,  Ogle  and  Etherege,  all  eager  to  bask 
in  the  sunshine  of  the  favor  of  her  whom  rumor 
declared  to  be  the  new  divinity  of  their  royal 
master. 

Pepys  was  the  first  to  address  her. 

"  Madam,  may  it  please  you  to  allow  me  to 
present  to  your  ladyship  my  brother  John,  for 
whom  I  would  crave  your  countenance." 


74  NELL 

"Your  servant,  sir,'*  said  Lady  Frances,, 
coldly.  Why  did  these  people  weary  her  at 
such  a  time  as  this  ? 

"And  for  myself " 

"By  your  leave,  Master  Secretary,"  inter- 
rupted Shaftesbury,  gently  but  firmly  pushing 
him  aside.  "  Fair  Lady  Frances,  you  are 
often  alone  with  the  King,  and  here  is  a  pa- 
per I  would  fain  lay  before  his  majesty." 

"Methinks,  my  lord,  as  president  of  the- 
Council,  your  own  hand  were  the  more  fitting 
channel." 

"  Alas,  madam,  business  never  reaches  the 
royal  ear,  save  in  the  disguise  of  pleasure." 

"  More  shame,  then,  for  councillors  who  stoop 
so  to  disguise  it,"  replied  Lady  Frances  with 
bitter  scorn. 

Shaftesbury  colored  and  retired.  He  felt, 
despite  himself,  that  the  rebuke  was  deserved. 

"  May  I  recall  myself  to  Lady  Frances' 
memory  ?"  said  Buckhurst,  with  an  effort.  The 
part  he  was  playing  was  hateful  to  him,  but  he 
believed  it  to  be  the  only  way  to  obtain  his  de- 
sire. 

"  Lord  Buckhurst  is  not  easily  forgotten,"  re- 
plied Lady  Frances,  more  graciously  than  slie 
had  spoken  to  the  other  two. 

"  Madam,  I  have  a  suit  to  the  king."     Lady 


LA   BELLE   STUART.  75 

Frances  made  an  impatient  movement.     "It  is 
for  a  ship." 

"  Why  appeal  to  me  ?  Surely  the  Lord  High 
Admiral " 

"What  is  the  Duke  of  York's  pennant  to 
Lady  Frances  Stuart's  petticoat?"  interposed 
Buckhurst.  He  did  not  mean  to  be  discourte- 
ous, but  the  inference  to  be  drawn  from  his  re- 
mark was  unmistakable. 

The  lady  upreared  her  handsome  head,  and 
there  was  a  steely  glitter  iu  her  blue  eye,  as  she 
responded  haughtily : 

"My  lord,  Frances  Stuart  has  no  such 
power  as  you  suppose ;  but  if  she  had,  she 
would  put  it  to  a  better  use  than  to  recommend 
for  command  one  who  has  not  won  the  right  to 
have  it." 

Buckhurst  said  no  more,  but  Ogle,  who  should 
have  been  warned  by  his  friend's  fate,  ventured 
to  urge  his  petition. 

"  Lady  Frances,  I  crave " 

But  Lady  Frances*  patience  was  exhausted. 
She  had  noticed  the  gathering  clouds  on  Rich- 
mond's face  and  knew  well  the  cause.  The 
homage  paid  to  her  was,  morever,  excessively 
distasteful  to  her,  and  she  determined  to  put 
an  end  to  it. 

"Your  pardon,  Sir  Thomas  Ogle,"  she  said, 
firmly,  "any  words  would  be  useless.  More- 


76  TSTELL  GWYNNE. 

over,  gentlemen,  once  for  all,  I  have  no  influ- 
ence with  his  majesty  and  it  is  not  to  me  that 
you  should  appeal." 

As  she  spoke  she  turned  away  from  them  and 
was  about  to  address  Richmond,  but  she  was 
doomed  once  more  to  interruption,  for  Chif- 
finch  had  entered  the  gallery,  and  seeing  Lady 
Frances  there,  hastened  toward  her. 

"Your  pardon,  madam,  one  moment,'*  he 
said,  handing  her  a  folded  slip  of  paper.  "  From 
the  king." 

Richmond  started,  and  from  his  eye  shot  a 
fierce  and  dangerous  gleam. 

Lady  Frances  opened  the  note  and  read  as 
follows : 

"  I  must  see  you  and  alone.  CHARLES." 
As  she  took  in  the  meaning  of  the  words,  a 
bitter  anger  filled  her  breast.  Was  this  perse- 
cution of  the  king's  never  to  cease,  and  how 
doubly  hard  it  was  that  on  this  day  of  all  others 
she  was  forced  to  endure  it.  What  would  Rich- 
mond think  ?  Richmond,  her  hero,  beside  whom 
all  other  men  were  to  her  like  shadows.  Forc- 
ing herself  to  be  calm,  she  thrust  the  note  in  an 
embroidered  bag  she  wore  by  her  side  and  said 
quietly  to  Chiffinch : 

"  'Tis  well,  sir.     There  is  no  answer." 
"Very  well,  madam.     Gentlemen,"  advanc- 
ing to  Buckhurst  and  the  others,  "his  majesty 


LA   BELLE   STUART.  77 

invites  you  to  the  tennis  yard.  His  grace  of 
Buckingham,  has  challenged  Sir  Charles  Sedley 
to  six  sets  and  the  games  will  be  played  imme- 
diately." 

They  trooped  noisily  away  out  into  the  gar- 
den in  the  direction  of  the  tennis-court. 

The  long- separated  lovers  were  alone  for  the 
first  time.  Lady  Frances  turned  eagerly  to- 
ward the  duke,  but  his  arms  were  folded  and 
his  face  sternly  averted. 

" Richmond!"  she  murmured,  softly. 

"  Madam,"  was  the  grave  response. 

Her  heart  grew  heavy  within  her  Was  this 
the  meeting  she  had  looked  forward  to  with 
such  joyful  anticipation?  "Madam,"  she 
echoed  in  sorrowful  reproach. 

At  this  the  duke  turned,  and  as  his  eyes  met 
hers,  his  expression  involuntarily  softened. 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "  I  am  quick  to  catch 
the  tone  of  the  court.  There  was  a  time  when 
I  would  have  used  less  ceremony,  but  that  was 
when  Frances  Stuart  boasted  a  scantier  train 
of  followers." 

"Richmond!"  she  exclaimed,  indignantly, 
and  then  with  a  sudden  revulsion  of  feeling: 
"  But,  no,  no,  I  cannot  be  angry  with  you.  I 
see  how  it  is.  You  have  been  listening  to  the 
evil  tongues  that  wag  only  too  freely  in  this 


78  NELL  GWYNNE. 

place.  Oh !  Richmond,  Richmond,  was  not  your 
trust  proof  against  scandal  ?  " 

"Tongues!  Scandal  I"  he  retorted,  bitterly. 
"  It  is  what  my  own  eyes  have  seen,  my  own 
ears  have  heard — this  cringing  before  you  of 
the  court,  this  note  from  the  king.  How  am  I 
to  reconcile  such  things  with  the  fair  fame  of 
Frances  Stuart  ?  " 

"  Frances  Stuart  is  a  woman,"  she  cried,  her 
eyes  flashing  and  two  crimson  spots  burning 
upon  her  cheeks ;  "  how  can  she  protect  her- 
self against  these  profligate  f oplings  ?  Heaven 
help  me!"  striking  her  hands  passionately  to- 
gether. "  I  wear  no  sword.  There  was  a  time 
when  I  believed  I  might  trust  the  defence  of  my 
good  name  to  yours." 

Richmond  groaned. 

"  If  I  could  but  know " 

"  If  you  could  but  know  I  For  shame,  my 
Lord  of  Richmond.  You,  of  all  men,  should 
know  what  I  have  been  and  am.  I  will  not 
stoop  to  clear  myself  with  protestations.  I  will 
but  look  you  in  the  face — thus,  and  say  to  you : 
I  am  worthy  of  an  honest  man's  love.  Do  you 
believe  me?  I  will  be  trusted  or  I  will  be  noth- 
ing to  you.  Do  you  trust  me  ?  " 

He  gave  one  long  look  into  those  fearless  eyes 
and  his  doubts  shrank  away.  His  face  cleared 
as  if  by  magic. 


LA   BELLE   STUART.  79 

"Yes,"  he  cried  ;  "  I  believe  you." 

But  even  as  he  opened  his  arms  to  fold  her  to 
his  breast,  he  saw  her  expression  change.  She 
was  looking  beyond  him,  through  the  open  win- 
dow into  the  garden. 

"  What  is  it?"  he  asked  in  surprise. 

"  The  King/'  she  exclaimed,  nervously.  "He 
is  coming  this  way.  Go !  go  ! " 

His  relief  had  been  but  short-lived  after  all. 
In  an  instant  his  suspicion  returned  with  re- 
doubled strength.  He  turned  and  saw  his  maj- 
esty approaching  through  the  shrubbery,  unat- 
tended and  evidently  coming  to  the  gallery.  So 
that  note  was  a  rendezvous  !  Well,  the  king 
would  find  a  third  at  the  interview. 

"  Go !  go  1 "  reiterated  Lady  Frances,  beseech- 
ingly. "For  your  sake,  for  my  sake,  he  must 
not  find  you  here." 

"  I  will  wait.  The  king  owes  me  a  hearing," 
he  declared,  coldly. 

"So  be  it,  then.  Remain!"  she  replied  in 
tones  every  whit  as  frigid  as  his  own. 

When  the  king  entered  the  gallery  he  did  no* 
at  first  perceive  Richmond,  who  was  partially 
hidden  by  the  window  curtains.  He  thought 
Lady  Frances  was  alone,  and  he  exclaimed  joy- 
fully : 

"  Ah  1  my  fair  Britannia " 


80  NELL   GWYJCSTE. 

4^ 

But  he  stopped  abruptly  as  the  duke  ad- 
Tanced  and  knelt  at  his  feet. 

Charles'  natural  good  humor  rarely  deserted 
him,  save  when  he  was  interrupted  or  crossed 
in  a  love  affair.  On  such  occasions  he  was 
capable  of  harshness,  even  cruelty. 

"How  now  1"  he  exclaimed  angrily.  "Whom 
have  we  here  ?  Oh!  my  lord  of  Richmond,  I  be- 
lieve." And  he  cast  a  quick,  suspicious  glance 
first  at  the  kneeling  form  of  the  duke  and  then 
at  Lady  Frances,  who  could  not  entirely  conceal 
her  emotion.  "What  do  you  here,  my  lord 
duke?" 

"  I  am  just  from  the  fleet,  your  majesty,  with 
despatches  and  a  flag  from  Sir  Edward 
Spragge." 

"  'Sdeath,  my  lord,"  broke  out  the  king 
roughly  ;  "  you  are  a  better  captain  than  cour- 
tier or  you  would  know  that  audiences  are 
asked,  not  taken  as  highwaymen  take  purses." 

Eichmond  rose  to  his  feet,  his  face  scarlet  with 
passion. 

"Your  majesty  teaches  me  a  subject's  duty," 
he  muttered  in  a  thick  voice. 

"And  you,  Lady  Frances,"  continued  the 
king,  who  was  so  consumed  with  jealous  rage 
that  he  forgot  his  customary  courtesy,  "the 
queen  requires  your  presence,  and  immediately." 


LA  BELLE   STUART.  81 

• 

Then  without  another  word  he  turned  abruptly 
and  passed  out  into  the  garden. 

Lady  Frances  cast  one  long,  sorrowful  glance 
at  Richmond. 

"You  would  better  have  trusted  her  who 
loved  you,"  she  said  in  a  low,  trembling  voice. 

Richmond  would  have  spoken,  but  she  waved 
him  aside,  and  with  head  erect  and  stately  step 
swept  across  the  gallery  and  disappeared  in  the 
direction  of  the  Queen's  apartments. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PRETTY,    MAD   NELLY. 

IT  was  after  the  play,  and  Nell  Gwynne  was 
returning,  in  a  hired  coach,  to  her  modest 
lodgings  in  Petticoat  Lane.  She  had  been  act- 
ing in  tragedy,  which  was  but  little  to  her  lik- 
ing, or  for  that  matter,  to  that  of  her  audience. 
In  his  immortal  diary,  Master  Pepys  says  of  her 
appearance  as  Cydaria  in  The  Indian  Emperor : 
"To  the  King's  playhouse,  where  I  find  Nell 
Gwynne  come  again,  which  I  am  glad  of  ;  but 
I  was  most  infinitely  displeased  with  her  being 
put  to  act  the  Emperor's  daughter,  which  she 
does  most  basely." 

Although  honest  Samuel  was  a  most  unreli- 
able critic  so  far  as  tragedy  was  concerned, 
which,  as  he  himself  confesses  he  did  most  in- 
continently detest,  he  was  probably  right  in  this 
case.  For  Nelly's  arch,  merry  expression,  eyes 
sparkling  with  fun,  cheeks  ever  ready  to  dimple 
into  smiles,  and  laughter-provoking  mouth,  were 
qualifications  meet  for  the  Comic  Muse,  while 
her  capabilities  were  utterly  unsuited  to  the  de- 

88 


PRETTY,    MAI?    NELLY.  83 

mands  of  Melpomene.  Heroics,  indeed!  Neither 
her  face,  voice,  natural  gifts,  training  nor  incli- 
nations fitted  her  for  the  sorrows  and  passions 
of  the  lofty  heroines  of  the  stilted  tragedies  of 
the  day.  But  in  comedy  she  was  unapproach- 
able. In  gay,  madcap  parts  Pepys  pronounces 
her  beyond  all  imitation.  "Lord,  her  confi- 
dence!" he  says,  speaking  of  her  representation 
of  a  young  gallant.  "I  can  never  hope  to  see 
the  like  done  again  by  man  or  woman." 

The  performance  to-night  had  consisted  of  a 
new  tragedy  called  Tyrannic  Love  or  The  Royal 
Martyr,  in  which  Nell  played  the  part  of  Vale- 
ria, the  daughter  of  Maximin,  tyrant  of  Rome. 
The  play  was  founded  upon  the  story  of  the 
martyrdom  of  Saint  Catharine,  a  saint  much  in 
vogue  just  then,  in  compliment  to  the  queen, 
Catharine  of  Braganza.  The  audience  yawned 
through  the  dull  acts,  but,  in  truth,  they  were 
no  more  bored  than  the  fair  heroine  herself  in 
her  endeavors  to  simulate  the  griefs  of  a  role 
entirely  unsympathetic  to  her  nature.  Because 
it  was  Nell  Gwynne,  however,  the  public  en- 
dured her  with  the  best  grace  it  could,  while  a 
less  popular  actress  would  probably  have  been 
hooted  off  the  stage. 

In  the  last  act,  before  the  weapon  can  be 
wrested  from  her,  Valeria  stabs  herself  twice. 
As  the  dead  body  of  the  princess  was  about  to 


84  NELL  GWYNNE. 

be  carried  from  the  stage,  Nell  commanded  the 
bearers  to  stop  and  set  her  upon  her  feet. 
Then,  to  the  open-mouthed  wonder  of  boxes,  pit 
and  galleries,  she  advanced  and,  descending 
from  the  stilts  she  managed  so  awkwardly,  she 
recited,  with  all  her  old  laughing  grace,  the. 
following  epilogue : 

"  I  come,  kind  gentlemen,  strange  news  to  tell  ye, 

I  am  the  ghost  of  poor  departed  Nelly. 

Sweet  ladies,  be  not  frightened;  I'll  be  civil 

In  what  I  was,  a  little,  harmless  devil. 

To  tell  you  true,  I  walk  because  I  die 

Out  of  my  calling,  in  a  tragedy. 

Oh,  poet !  damned  dull  poet,  who  could  prove 

So  senseless  to  make  Nelly  die  for  love  J 

As  for  my  epitaph,  when  I  am  gone 

I'll  trust  no  poet,  but  will  write  my  own  : 

'  Here  Nelly  lies.    Although  she  lived  a  slattern, 

Yet  died  a  princess,  acting  in  St.  Cath'rin.' " 

At  this  innovation — bold,  to  say  the  lejt&t  of 
it — the  house  roared  with  laughter  and  ap- 
plause, and  the  audience  went  home  in  high 
good  humor,  fully  forgiving  the  daring  actress 
for  all  her  shortcomings  in  parts  out  of  her 
line,  and  holding  her  higher  in  favor  than  ever. 

But  it  was  not  of  the  stage,  its  failures  or  its 
triumphs,  that  Nelly  was  thinking  as  the  car- 
riage jolted  over  the  wretched  pavements.  It 
was  of  a  pair  of  tender  eyes,  of  a  soft  voice 
which  had  murmured  that  very  evening  its 
amorous  pleadings  in  her  ear.  Ah  1  Nell,  for 


PRETTY,    MAD   NELLY.  85 

all  your  jests  and  jibes  at  the  tender  passion, 
the  slighted  love- god  has  taken  sweet  revenge 
at  last.  You  are  caught  fast  in  his  net  and  his 
arrow  has  pierced  deeply  your  hitherto  impreg- 
nable heart. 

To  do  the  young  actress  justice,  that  her  lover 
sat  upon  a  throne  had  little,  if  any,  weight  with 
her.  It  was  the  man  himself  she  cared  for, 
not  his  rank  and  power. 

All  at  once,  she  was  roused  from  her  reflec- 
tions by  the  sudden  stoppage  of  the  coach,  and 
then  the  sound  of  an  angry  altercation  fell  upon 
her  ears.  Hastily  opening  the  door,  she  de- 
scended, and  by  the  faint  light  of  a  swinging 
street-lamp  saw  her  coachman  and  another, 
whose  vehicle  was  drawn  up  close  by,  engaged 
in  a  lusty  bout  of  fisticuffs. 

"  Stop ! "  cried  Nell.     "  Stop,  at  once ! " 

At  the  ringing  command  the  two  Jehus 
paused  and  fell  apart. 

"  Come  here,  William,"  ordered  Nell. 

The  man  obeyed,  holding  his  hand  to  one  eye, 
which  was  more  or  less  damaged.  Although  he 
was  not  her  own  coachman,  he  was  well  known 
among  his  fellows  as  the  one  who  invariably 
drove  the  actress. 

•<  What  does  all  this  mean  ?  " 

"The  knave  drove  into  me,  and,  when  I 
cursed  him,  he  said " 


86  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"Well?" 

The  man  hesitated  and  stammered  : 

"  I  do  not  like  to  tell  you,  madam." 

"  Rubbish,  man  1  What  did  he  say  ?  Out 
with  it!" 

"  He — he  said  that  he  drove  for  a  countess, 
while  I  drove  for  a  jade." 

Nell  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then  she 
laughed  outright,  but  there  was  a  note  in  her 
laughter  that  somehow  sounded  forced. 

"Go  to,  my  good  William,"  she  said,  lightly, 
"  and  never  risk  your  carcass  again,  save  in  de- 
fence of  the  truth.  Mount  your  box,  and  let  us 
proceed." 

But  Nell  was  not  destined  to  reach  home  that 
night  without  further  adventure.  The  coach 
was  within  a  stone's  throw  of  her  lodgings 
when  it  was  again  arrested,  and  again  a  scuffle 
took  place.  But  this  time  there  were  six  men 
instead  of  one  to  fight,  and  the  coachman  was 
quickly  overpowered. 

The  door  of  the  carriage  was  flung  open  and 
a  villainous  looking  head  was  thrust  in.  Nelly, 
believing  herself  attacked  by  highwaymen,  es- 
sayed to  shriek,  but  the  sound  was  stifled  by  a 
heavy  hand  clapped  over  her  mouth.  Her  head 
and  arms  were  then  muffled  in  a  thick  cloak,  and 
she  felt  herself  lifted  and  carried  along  by  a  pair 
of  strong  arms.  How  far  or  in  what  direction 


PRETTY,    MAD    NELLY.  87 

she  went  she  could  not  tell,  but  after  a  lapse  of 
time,  which  seemed  to  her  interminable,  she  re- 
alized that  she  was  being  carried  up  a  flight  of 
stairs ;  then  she  was  seated  in  a  chair,  and  the 
cloak,  which  was  half  suffocating  her,  was  un- 
fastened. 

Freeing  her  hands,  she  tore  it  off,  and,  gasp- 
ing for  breath,  she  looked  about  her  with  eyes 
dazzled  by  the  sudden  light. 

She  found  herself  alone  in  a  handsomely-fur- 
nished apartment.  Wax  candles  burned  brightly 
in  candelabra  upon  the  mantel  and  upon  a  table 
set  for  two  with  a  rich  display  of  glass  and  chi- 
naware.  Nell  collected  her  scattered  thoughts 
and  endeavored  to  pierce  the  mystery.  She 
liked  a  jest  well  enough,  but  this  was  past  a  jest, 
and  she  would  make  the  perpetrator  smart  for 
it.  An  abduction,  evidently,  but  who  was  the 
offender  ?  Oh,  that  he  were  there,  that  she  could 
scratch  his  eyes  out !  But  who  could  it  be  ? 
Etherege  ?  No;  he  had  too  much  sense.  Harry 
Jermyn  ?  No ;  he  had  too  much  conceit  to  think 
force  necessary.  Tom  Ogle?  No;  he  was  too 
poor ;  he  hadn't  a  groat  to  pay  the  bullies  with. 
Another  name  occurred  to  her,  the  thought  of 
which  flushed  her  pretty  cheek  crimson.  "  Come, 
come,  Nelly,  no  nonsense,"  she  said  to  herself, 
hastily  rising ,  "  that  way  madness  lies,  as  the 
poet  says." 


88  NELL   GWYNITE. 

She  hurried  over  to  the  table  and  scrutinized 
the  napery  and  the  china.  JSTo  crest  1  no  initial 
letter !  Nothing  to  guide  her  there.  Hang  it  1 
She  could  not  work  herself  up  into  a  proper  rage 
until  she  knew  who  her  abductor  was.  It  might 
be  some  one  whom  she  liked.  But  where  was 
he  ?  One  thing  was  clear,  he  certainly  ought  to 
be  here.  Why,  the  man  must  be  a  fool  to  carry 
a  woman  off  by  violence,  and  then,  like  Macbeth 
in  the  play,  "proceed  no  further  in  this  busi- 
ness." Oh  I  there  was  a  door  leading  to  another 
apartment.  She  would  investigate.  Cautiously 
crossing  the  room,  she  drew  aside  the  curtain 
and  peeped  in.  Yes,  there  was  some  one  there. 
Tarquin,  undoubtedly.  He  was  sitting  at  a  table 
busily  writing.  His  back  was  toward  her,  and 
all  she  could  see  was  that  he  was  well  dressed 
and  wore  a  flowing  periwig ;  but  so  did  every 
other  gentleman  of  quality  in  those  days.  Who 
could  it  be?  It  was  scarcely  courteous,  to  say 
the  least,  to  carry  off  a  play-actress,  and  then 
turn  his  back  upon  her  and  pen  away  for  dear 
life. 

She  dropped  the  curtain  and  reflected  on  what 
she  should  do.  She  was  consumed  with  curi- 
osity, and  she  could  not  wait  for  matters  to  de- 
velop themselves.  Should  she  burst  in  upon  him 
and  abuse  him  ?  But  how  ?  In  Billingsgate  or 
in  the  vein  of  the  injured  tragedy  queen  ?  Pshaw! 


PRETTY,    MAD    NELLY.  89 

there  was  no  sport  in  either,  and  if  there  was  one 
thing  that  her  wilful,  gay  butterfly  nature  did 
adore,  it  was  sport — sport  in  season  and  out  of 
season ;  and  yet,  with  all  her  fun-loving  spirit, 
she  was  never  malicious.  Her  heart  was  too 
tender  to  harm  any  living  thing. 

How  should  she  induce  this  fox  to  break  cover? 
What  role  would  it  be  best  to  assume  ?  Virtuous 
despair!  Yes,  that  would  be  the  best  jest  of 
all,  and  she  tittered  at  the  very  thought.  But 
how  to  unearth  him  ?  She  could  not  go  to  him 
and  say :  "  Come,  sir,  and  offend  my  ears  with 
your  indiscreet  proposals."  Should  she  cough 
him  out  ?  No,  that  was  old  and  trite.  She  had 
done  that  eleven  thousand  times  upon  the  stage. 
Virtuous  despair ! 

Ah !  she  would  sob  him  out. 

And  suiting  the  action  to  the  thought,  she 
threw  herself  down  in  a  chair,  and,  covering 
her  face  with  her  hands,  began  to  sob  and 
moan  in  an  exaggerated  assumption  of  grief. 

The  stratagem  was  successful,  for  in  less 
than  two  minutes  the  curtain  was  raised,  and 
the  man  she  had  seen  writing  at  the  desk  ap- 
peared. 

Nell  peeped  between  her  fingers. 

"Why,  bless  my  life,"  she  murmured  to  her- 
self as  she  caught  sight  of  the  new-comer's 


90  NELL 

face,  "if  it  isn't  that  solemn  toad,  Sam  Pepys. 
Oh!  oh!" 

And  her  pretty  shoulders  shook  in  a  silent 
convulsion  of  laughter,  which  Pepys  mistook 
for  a  sign  of  distress. 

He  approached  her  cautiously  and  wonder- 
ingly. 

"It  grieves  me  greatly,"  he  began,  "to 
see " 

But  he  broke  off  short  in  amazement,  for  the 
hands  were  removed  and  to  his  eyes  was  re- 
vealed the  roguish  face  of  Nell  Gwynne. 

"Why,  it's  pretty,  mad  Nelly,"  he  stam- 
mered. 

To  tell  the  truth  he  was  no  more  astounded 
than  Nell  herself.  She  had  never  given  the 
politic  secretary  courage  to  carry  out  so  high- 
handed a  proceeding  as  an  abduction  in  the 
public  streets.  But  he  should  pay  dearly  for 
his  presumption. 

She  rose,  and,,  facing  him  with  the  sternest 
expression  she  could  assume,  said  to  him 
gravely  : 

"  Samuel  Pepys,  you  old  sinner !  I'll  tell 
your  wife ! " 

At  this  to  him  most  terrible  of  all  threats,  al- 
though for  the  life  of  him  he  could  not  imagine 
what  she  was  going  to  tell,  Pepys  changed  color 
fisibly. 


PRETTY,    MAD   NELLY.  91 

"Tell  my  wife!"  lie  ejaculated.  "Now 
Heaven  forbid!  But  pray,  Mistress  Gwynne, 
what  is  the  matter  ?  "What  have  I  done  ?  " 

"Done!"  retorted  Nell,  with  no  relaxation  of 
the  accusing  solemnity  of  her  manner.  "Done I 
What  haven't  you  done.  The  matter  is  that 
I'll  expose  you  to  the  town  for  a  sheep-faced 
knave." 

Knave!  Poor  Pepys*  heart  shivered  with 
fear.  What  had  this  mischievous  jade  discov- 
ered ?  Was  it  the  matter  of  the  victualing  of 
the  ships  or  the  plate  from  Master  Bowen,  or, 
worse  than  all,  had  she  got  wind  of  his  last 
escapade  with  Mistress  Knipp  of  the  Duke's? 

"Nay,  Mistress  Gwynne,"  he  began  hastily, 
and  then,  relapsing  into  a  wheedling  tone: 

"Nelly,  pretty  Nelly,  some  one  has  vexed  you 
and  so  you  fall  foul  of  your  friends ;  sure  we 
are  fast  friends." 

"  Private  friendship  must  give  way  to  public 
morality,"  retorted  Nell,  with  all  the  rigid  aus- 
terity of  a  mother  abbess  lecturing  a  novice. 

"You  would  not  be  so  cruel." 

"  I'll  tell  all  the  world  and  your  wife  unless 
you  instantly  conduct  me  back  to  my  lodg- 
ings." 

"With  pleasure,  sweet  Nelly,  with  great 
pleasure,"  he  responded  with  an  alacrity  in- 


92  NELL   GWYNNE. 

spired  by  fear  of  her  vague,  and  so  doubly 
alarming,  threat. 

He  tried  the  door  but  it  refused  to  open. 

"Why,  this  door  is  locked." 

"  As  if  you  did  not  know  it !  Innocent 
soul !  "  snapped  Nelly  sarcastically. 

"Indeed,"  replied  Samuel,  earnestly,  "it  was 
not  locked  when  I  entered." 

"You  have  the  key  of  your  own  door,  I  sup- 
pose." 

"Yes,  but  this  is  not  my  door." 

It  was  now  Nell's  turn  to  be  astonished. 

"Not  your  door  !     Whose  is  it,  then?  " 

"Whose  should  it  be  but  my  Lord  Buck- 
hurst's  ?  " 

Nell  started  and  a  faint  smile  appeared  at  the 
corners  of  her  rosy  mouth.  So  she  had  mis- 
judged the  honest  Samuel,  and  Buckhurst  was 
the  offender.  She  was  not  sorry  for  it.  Here 
was  a  chance  for  rare  fun.  She  liked  Buck- 
hurst,  but  she  would  lead  him  a  pretty  dance 
before  she  had  finished  with  him,  and  make 
him  smart  well  for  his  temerity. 

"  I  came  to  see  my  lord  on  a  matter  concern- 
ing the  fleet,  and  while  waiting  for  him  to 
return  I  ventured  to  enter  his  study  to  make 
some  notes  in  my  diary,  and —  The  Lord  pre- 
serve us,"  suddenly  interrupting  himself,  his 
countenance  exhibiting  every  sign  of  alarm. 


PRETTY,    MAD   NELLY.  93 

"  He  will  return  shortly,  and  if  he  finds  me 
alone  with  you,  what  will  happen?  He  is  a 
dare-devil,  and  he  said  once  that  if  he  caught 
me  again  in  your  tiring  room  he  would  slit  my 
ears." 

Even  as  he  spoke  a  step  was  heard  on  the 
landing  outside  and  a  voice  exclaimed : 

"She  is  here,  you  say?" 

Pepys,  in  great  alarm,  turned  to  flee,  but 
Nell  caught  him  by  his  voluminous  coat-tails. 

"  Let  me  go,"  pleaded  poor  Samuel,  struggling 
to  release  himself. 

But  Nell  only  held  on  the  tighter. 

"  Oh,  sir,"  she  begged,  assuming  an  air  of  the 
most  poignant  distress,  "  do  not  desert  me,  I  im- 
plore. Do  not  leave  me  alone  with  this  vile  ab- 
ductor." 

"  Nay,  he  won't  hurt  you." 

"  Oh,  protect  me  !  protect  me ! "  And  the  mis- 
chievous lass  attempted  to  throw  her  arms  about 
his  neck. 

But  Pepys'  ears  had  caught  the  sound  of  a  key 
turning  in  the  lock,  and,  in  a  fever  of  alarm,  he 
started  back.  As  he  did  so  Nell's  flowing  sleeve 
caught  in  his  wig,  and  off  it  came,  leaving  him 
as  bald  as  a  tennis  ball. 

Not  waiting  to  recover  his  property,  he  dashed 
into  the  next  room,  the  tails  of  his  coat  spread 


94  NELL  GWYNNE. 

out  behind  him  like  the  pennant  of  a  ship  in  a 
strong  gale. 

Choking  with  merriment,  Nell  thrust  the  wig 
in  her  pocket.  As  she  did  so  her  eye  fell  upon 
a  black  bound  book  which  had  fallen  upon  the 
carpet.  She  picked  it  up,  and  without  the  slight- 
est compunction  opened  it.  As  she  read  a  word 
or  two  she  smiled  wickedly,  and  hastily  tore  out 
half  a  dozen  leaves  at  random. 

Pepy's  bald  cranium  appeared  between  the 
curtains. 

"Nelly,"  he  called  in  a  cautious  whisper, 
"  Nelly,  my  journal  book  ;  I've  lost  my  journal 
book." 

"Here  it  is,"  tossing  it  to  him,  "minus  a  few 
pages,"  she  added,  sotto  voce,  "  which  I'll  peruse 
at  my  leisure." 

The  creaking  of  the  opening  door  startled  her, 
and  flinging  herself-  down  in  a  chair,  she  buried 
her  face  in  her  hands. 

She  was  not  a  moment  too  soon.  Indeed,  if 
Buckhurst  had  not  found  some  difficulty  with 
the  lock  Pepys  would  have  been  discovered,  and 
her  own  contemplated  bit  of  acting  spoiled. 

It  was  something  of  an  unpleasant  shock  to 
Buckhurst  to  find  the  disconsolate  figure  hud- 
dled up  in  the  arm  chair,  sobbing  as  if  its  heart 
would  break.  He  was  prepared  for  reproaches, 
sarcasm — anything,  in  fact,  but  tears.  He  was 


PRETTY,    MAD   NELLY.  95 

half  ashamed  of  what  he  had  done ;  but  pshaw ! 
it  was  only  a  long  and  a  tragical  protestation, 
and  he  was  sure  to  be  forgiven. 

Approaching  the  fair  weeper,  he  knelt  down 
by  her  side. 

" Nelly,"  he  began,  coaxingly,  "forgive  me. 
Love,  too  hot  to  be  quenched  by  reason,  fired  me 
to  the  act.  But  I  kneel  at  your  feet  a  true  peni- 
tent, and  never  will  I  rise  till  I  hear  you  say  that 
you  forgive  the  boldness  of  my  passion." 

He  paused.  No  answer  save  a  burst  of  sobs 
twice  as  violent  as  before.  He  was  in  conster- 
nation. Surely  this  could  not  be  merry  Nell 
Gwynne  ;  it  was  a  Niobe,  all  tears.  Although 
Nell  failed  to  depict  sorrow  upon  the  stage,  she 
could  counterfeit  it  admirably  in  private,  and 
Buckhurst  was  completely  deceived. 

"Nay,  sweet  soul,  be  comforted,"  he  mur- 
mured. "Although  you  entered  here  a  pris- 
oner, you  shall  remain  a  queen.  I  live  but  to 
obey  your  lightest  words." 

But  her  affliction  was  apparently  not  to  be 
assuaged.  Her  whole  frame  shook  with  the 
boisterousness  of  her  anguish. 

« Sullen  little  devil!"  he  thought.  "This  is 
not  what  I  bargained  for." 

At  this  moment  a  discreet  knock  at  the  door 
etartled  him,  and  leaping  to  his  feet  he  called 
out: 


96  NELL   GWYOTSTE. 

"  Come  in  ! " 

A  servant  appeared. 

"Well,  what  is  it?" 

"My  lord "  began  the  servant,  hesitat- 
ing. 

"Well,  rascal,  what  now?" 

"  My  lord,  the — the  servants  who  came  with 

• — with  this  lady The  fact  is,  my  lord, 

they  are  in  the  hall,  and  they  will  not  go  un- 
til  " 

"  Oh,  I  see,"  said  Buckhurst,  helping  the 
man  out  in  his  embarrassment,  "  until  they  are 
paid  for  their  dirty  work." 

The  servant  made  a  sign  in  the  affirmative. 

Was  the  sound  that  came  from  behind  the 
screen  of  the  lady's  hands  a  manifestation  of 
grief  or  of  amusement  ?  As  we  are  somewhat 
behind  the  scenes,  we  may  decide  that  it  was 
the  latter. 

"Tell  the  knaves  that  they  shall  be  paid  to- 
morrow," said  Buckhurst,  in  a  low  voice. 

"I  have,  my  lord,  but  they  say  that  they 
never  risk  their  necks  on  credit." 

Buckhurst  thrust  his  hands  hurriedly  into 
his  pockets,  and  as  hurriedly  withdrew  them 
empty.  He  had  played  with  the  Count  de 
Grammont  the  night  before  and  lost  every 
penny  in  his  possession. 

The  situation  was  becoming  decidedly  awk- 


PRETTY,    MAD    NELLY.  97 

ward,  when  Nell  removed  her  hands  and  dis- 
played a  demure  face,  which  to  Buckhurst's  as- 
tonishment revealed  not  the  least  trace  of  a 
tear. 

"  Prithee,  sir,  come  hither  an  instant,"  she 
said  softly  to  the  servant. 

The  man  obeyed. 

"  How  much  do  the  ruffians  demand  ?  "  And 
she  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"Two  Jacobuses  each,  and  there  are  six  of 
them,  madam." 

"  What ! "  cried  Nell,  with  sudden  energy. 
"  Twelve  Jacobuses  for  carrying  off  an  actress  ! 
It's  outrageous,  monstrous,  rank  extortion  !  " 

"So  I  said  to  them,  madam,  but  my  lord 
promised." 

"  Oh ! "  with  another  sigh,  this  time  one  of 
resignation,  "if  my  lord  promised  I  suppose 
that  his  promise  must  be  kept." 

And  drawing  out  a  well-filled  purse  she 
counted  out  the  twelve  coins.  The  servant's 
eyes  opened  wide ;  it  was  a  long  time  since  he 
had  seen  so  much  money  beneath  that  roof. 

When  the  man  had  disappeared  Nell  turned  a 
severe  look  on  his  abashed  lordship. 

" It  was  too  dear,"  she  murmured,  "sadly  too 
dear.  Really  you  ought  to  manage  these  things 
better.  Am  I  always  to  pay  for  every  enter- 
tainment it  may  be  your  pleasure  to  offer  me?" 


98  NELL   GWYNKE. 

"Really,  I " 

"  Now  stop  and  listen  to  me.  The  next  time 
you  desire  to  carry  off  a  lady  it  will  be  much 
the  cheapest  way  to  consult  her  in  the  first  place. 
Don't  let  her  cost  you  twelve  Jacobuses,  for  ten 
to  one  she  won't  be  worth  them,  and,  even  if 
she  is,  she  won't  like  to  have  to  pay  them  her- 
self. You  see " 

But  the  fun-loving  witch  could  continue  this 
strain  no  longer.  The  whimsicality  of  the  affair 
overcame  her,  and  she  broke  out  into  a  burst  of 
laughter  so  rippling,  so  musical,  so  infectious, 
that  Buckhurst,  much  relieved,  joined  gleefully 
in. 

"  Ha !  ha !  ha !  you  are  a  woman  after  my  own 
heart.  Merry  Nelly,  I  adore  you ;  ha !  ha !  ha ! " 

"  And  I  like  you.  I  ought  to,  I'm  sure,  for  you 
cost  me  dear  enough." 

Peace  thus  restored,  Buckhurst  found  little 
difficulty  in  persuading  his  fair  enslaver  to  re- 
main to  supper,  although  she  insisted  that  im- 
mediately afterward  she  must  return  to  her  lodg- 
ings. 

"But  first,"  urged  Buckhurst,  "you  must 
swear  to  be  mine,  mine  alone  and  mine  forever." 

"Indeed,  that  I  will  not,"  asseverated  Nell, 
stoutly. 

"Why  not?" 

"Because,  you  wretched  deceiver,  you  have 


PRETTY,    MAD   NELLY.  9£ 

been  telling  the  same  tale  to  every  laced  petti- 
coat in  Drury  Lane." 

"Of  course  I  have,"  acknowledged  Buckhurst, 
"  but  henceforth  I  renounce  them  all  and  am  the 
devoted  slave  of  one  alone." 

Nell  cast  up  her  eyes  and  breathed  a  tender 
sigh. 

"Is  this  true?" 

"  Upon  my  soul,  it  is.  Here  I  swear  eternal 
fidelity  to  your  bright  eyes." 

"  Oh,  my  lord,  such  nobleness  fills  me  with 
gratitude,  and  I  will  not  be  behind  you  in  self- 
sacrifice.  From  this  time  forth  I  renounce  little 
Jermyn,  Hart,  Harry  Sidney,  Tom  Ogle,  Lacy, 
Betterton  and,"  demurely — "yes,  I  think  that's 
all,  and,  like  you,  will  devote  myself  to  one." 

"Swear  it  then,  as  I  did,"  cried  Buckhurst, 
eagerly. 

She  slyly  drew  Pepys'  wig  from  her  pocket 
and  secretly  attached  it  to  her  wrist. 

"  Swear,"  reiterated  Buckhurst. 

"I  swear!"  she  exclaimed  melodramatically, 
raising  her  hand  to  Heaven.  The  voluminous 
mass  of  curled  hair  waved  to  and  fro  in  the  air. 

Buckhurst's  face  fell.  Would  she  never  be 
done  with  her  tricks  ? 

"What's  that?"  he  demanded  savagely. 

Nell  followed  the  direction  of  his  eyes  with 
the  most  innocent  air  in  the  world. 


100  NELL   G WYNNE. 

"  Oh,  Lud ! "  she  cried,  with  a  most  ad- 
mirable assumption  of  vernal  ingenuousness. 
"  Why,  it's  like  those  things  you  men  wear 
on  your  heads.  Is  it  yours?  " 

"  Mine  ?  you  crocodile  !  "  retorted  Buckhurst, 
out  of  all  patience.  "  No,  it  is  not  mine.  But 
the  man  who  owns  it  is  here;  he  must  be 
here." 

"  Here  !  Why,  where  can  he  be  ?  "  And  she 
maliciously  fixed  her  eyes  upon  the  curtain 
which  covered  the  door  leading  to  the  study. 

Buckhurst  observed  the  gaze  and  turned  in 
its  direction. 

"  Oh,  don't  go  there  ! "  cried  Nell,  in  affected 
alarm.  "  Indeed,  I  am  not  looking  there.  See, 
I  am  looking  in  every  other  direction." 

But  Buckhurst  strode  into  the  study  and  in 
another  moment  returned,  leading  by  the  ear 
the  shame-faced  and  frightened  Samuel. 

"Why,  what  do  you  call  this?"  cried  Buck- 
hurst. 

"  The  head  of  a  goose,"  laughed  Nell.  "  And 
now,"  clapping  the  wig  upon  the  bald  pate,  "it 
is  the  head  of  a  wise  man." 

"  My  lord,  appearances  are  against  me,"  falt- 
ered Pepys.  "  I  vow  I  came  here  to  see  your 
lordship,  and " 

"And  I  vow  you  made  love  to  me  in  his  ab- 
sence," interrupted  Nell.  "Why,  I  adore  him, 


PRETTY,    MAD    NELLY.  101 

your  lordship,  my  own  solid,  sanctimonious, 
smug-faced  Samuel.  Why,  he  comes  almost 
every  night  to  my  dressing  room,  lends  me  pins 
and  watches  all  my  metamorphoses.  My  tiring 
wench  calls  him  the  scene-shifter.  Ha  I  ha ! 
ha!" 

"  Believe  her  not,  your  lordship,"  assever- 
ated Pepys,  in  dismay.  "  She  is  a  madcap, 
and  her  tongue  runs  away  with  her.  It's  all 
scandal,  pure  scandal !  " 

He  would  have  protested  further,  but  Buck- 
hurst  checked  him  with  a  good-humored  ges- 
ture. He  knew  full  well  that  he  had  no  reason 
to  be  jealous  of  the  solemn  and  plain-faced 
secretary. 

"  Mr.  Pepys,  forgive  my  heat,"  he  said, 
pleasantly.  "  I  meant  nothing  by  it." 

"  And  he  must  sup  with  us,"  insisted  Nell. 

"Certainly,"  Buckhurst  agreed,  but,  it  must 
be  confessed,  with  no  very  good  grace.  "What, 
ho,  without  there !  Supper!  Supper!" 

It  was  not  supper,  however,  that  appeared, 
but  a  servant  announcing  that  two  gentlemen 
desired  to  speak  to  his  lordship  immediately. 

"  Tell  them  I'm  engaged  and  cannot  see 
them,"  said  Buckhurst. 

"  But  they  will  not  be  denied,  your  lord- 
ship," and,  coming  close  to  his  master,  the 
servant  whispered  a  word  or  two  in  his  ear. 


102  NELL  GWYNNE. 

"Hang  it,"  muttered  Buckhurst,  "I  shall 
have  to  see  them,  I  suppose,  to  quiet  their 
clamor.  Surely,  my  custom  should  be  sufficient 
for  these  knavish  tradesmen.  But  I  shall  not 
be  long,  Nelly." 

"  Oh !  don't  hurry  yourself,"  retorted  Nell, 
cheerfully.  "I  am  sure  I  shall  enjoy  myself 
hugely  with  my  beloved  Samuel  here.  By  the 
way,  my  lord,  I  have  more  Jacobuses,  if  you 
need  them." 

"Oh,  the  devil  take  your  Jacobuses!"  re- 
torted Buckhurst,  gruffly,  as  he  flung  out  of  the 
room. 

"Oh,  Nell,  Nell,"  began  Pepys,  reproachful- 
ly, when  they  were  alone,  "  how  could  you  say 
such  things,  when  you  know  that  I  come  to 
your  dressing  room  only  to  see  if  Knipp  be 
there." 

"Excessively  flattering  to  me,  I'm  sure,"  re- 
plied Nell,  sweeping  him  a  mocking  courtesy. 

"  Nay,  nay,  my  child,  I  meant  not  that.  But 
suppose  my  lord  had  taken  you  seriously.  He 
is  a  terrible  fellow,  this  Buckhurst.  Heaven 
preserve  us!"  with  a  shudder,  "suppose  that 
he  had  slit  my  ears." 

"That  would  have  been  no  great  harm. 
They  are  too  long  as  they  are.  Besides,  it 
would  have  prevented  your  learning  things 
that  were  not  intended  for  your  hearing.  A 


PRETTY,    MAD   NELLY.  103 

very  bad  habit,  Master  Secretary,  that  of  listen- 
ing at  keyholes." 

Nell,  though  only  in  jest,  had  hit  the  nail  on 
the  head.  More  than  one  of  those  bits  of  in- 
formation, which  gossip-loving  Pepys  delighted 
to  pick  up,  had  been  obtained  in  the  reprehen- 
sible manner  to  which  she  alluded.  Nell  was  a 
thorn  in  the  good  man's  flesh.  He  rarely  met 
the  madcap  actress  that  she  did  not  alarm  him 
by  a  knowledge,  sometimes  real,  sometimes 
feigned,  of  the  peccadilloes  which  it  was  the 
aim  of  his  life  to  conceal  from  his  wife,  who 
was  something  of  a  virago,  and  of  whom  he 
stood  in  great  awe. 

"Keyholes!"  he  cried  in  a  tone  of  virtuous 
indignation.  "  I  do  not  comprehend  you,  Mis- 
tress Gwynne.  I " 

But,  before  he  could  proceed  further,  the 
door  behind  him  was  hurriedly  opened,  and  a 
woman,  cloaked  and  masked,  was  pushed 
forcibly  into  the  room. 

Both  Nell  and  Pepys  cried  out  in  surprise. 

The  woman  tore  off  her  mask  and  exhibited 
a  coarse,  flushed,  ugly  face,  surmounted  by  a 
disorderly  mass  of  wiry,  carrotty  hair. 

"  Why,  it's  Orange  Moll !  " 

"Why,  it's  Nell!" 

The  two  exclamations  were  simultaneous  and 
of  equal  surprise. 


104  NELL   G  WYNNE. 

«'  Why,  Moll,  what  brings  you  here  ?  "  asked 
Nell,  as  soon  as  she  had  recovered  from  her 
surprise  at  the  unexpected  apparition. 

"  That's  what  I  would  like  to  know  myself ! " 
replied  Moll,  in  a  harsh,  shrill  voice.  "Fine 
doings,  indeed,  when  a  respectable  woman  can- 
not go  about  her  business  in  the  public  streets 
without  being  attacked  by  a  gang  of  despera- 
does and  carried  off  no  one  knows  where.  But 
where  am  I?  " 

"  In  my  Lord  Buckhurst's  house." 

Moll  grinned  from  ear  to  ear. 

"  Buckhurst !  Lord,  my  dear,  perhaps  I 
was  brought  here  at  his  orders." 

The  idea  of  Buckhurst  abducting  Orange 
Moll  was  almost  too  much  for  Nell's  gravity, 
while  Pepys  chuckled  audibly  to  his  great  mis- 
fortune, for  Moll  instantly  turned  upon  him 
like  a  wild-cat. 

"What  are  you  snickering  at,  you  moon- 
faced loon?"  she  shrieked.  Her  temper  was 
none  of  the  best,  and  she  never  sought  to  con- 
trol the  acerbity  of  her  tongue.  "  Don't  judge 
all  men  by  yourself!  By  my  virtue  there  are 
men  who  have  better  taste  than  to  admire 
skeletons  with  hatchet-faces  like  that  Knipp 
about  whose  petticoats  you  are  always  hanging ! 
Oh,  I  know  you,  MasterPepys.  I  know  you, 
and " 


PRETTY,    MAD    NELLY.  105 

"There,  there,  Moll,"  interposed  Nell,  sooth- 
ingly. "  Master  Pepys  meant  no  harm,  I'll  be 
bound." 

Moll  allowed  herself  to  be  mollified.  In  her 
weather-beaten  heart  there  was  a  very  soft  spot 
for  the  pretty  actress,  for  many  a  kindness  had 
she  received  at  Nelly's  generous  hands.  After 
her  graduation  from  the  ranks  of  the  orange 
girls,  among  whom,  the  prettiest  and  the  blith- 
est of  all,  she  had  stood  in  the  front  of  the  pit, 
with  her  vine-leaved  covered  basket  of  fruit, 
to  the  boards  themselves,  Nell  never  forgot  her 
old  companions,  but  was  ever  ready  to  aid  and 
encourage  them  with  kind  words  and  to  lavish 
upon  them  in  time  of  sickness  or  need  the 
entire  store  of  her  purse. 

"We  are  both  in  the  same  boat,  Moll,"  she 
said  when  the  orange  woman's  sudden  burst  of 
temper  was  allayed.  "  I  was  brought  here 
against  my  will,  too." 

"  What  in  the  world  can  he  want  of  both  of 
us?"  ejaculated  Moll.  "But  never  fear,  my 
pretty,  I  am  here,  and  I  can  defend  us  both." 

And  indeed,  with  her  strapping  figure  and 
muscular  arms,  she  probably  could  have  done 
so  on  an  emergency. 

As  Nell,  giving  up  the  effort  to  solve  the  mys- 
tery of  Moll's  appearance,  gazed  at  her  ugly 
countenance,  a  sudden  thought  came  to  her 


106  NELL   GWYNNE. 

which  caused  her  bright  eyes  to  dance  and  the 
dimples  to  come  and  go  in  her  rosy  cheeks. 

"Oh,  Moll,"  she  exclaimed,  enthusiastically, 
"  I  have  such  an  idea,  oh,  such  a  capital  idea ! 
Will  you  do  me  a  favor?  Dear  Moll,  will 
you?" 

"Bless  the  child's  innocent  heart,"  was  the 
fervid  response,  "of  course  I  will.  Can  Nell 
Gwynne  ask  anything  of  Orange  Moll  that 
Orange  Moll  won't  do !  What  is  it,  my  dear  ? 
Some  trick,  I'll  be  bound !  " 

"Yes,  but  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost.  Tar- 
quin — I  mean  my  lord  Buckhurst — may  be 
back  at  any  moment." 

As  she  spoke  she  snatched  up  her  cloak  from 
where  it  had  fallen  on  the  floor  and  draped  it 
over  an  arm  chair  with  a  high,  carved  back. 

"  Now,  sit  down  here  and  put  on  your  mask." 
She  hustled  Moll  into  the  chair  and  handed  her 
the  vizard. 

"  There  he  is !  I  hear  him  outside.  Now, 
never  mind  what  he  says,  don't  speak  a  word. 
I  will  do  all  the  talking." 

And  she  slipped  behind  the  chair  where  the 
folds  of  the  cloak  concealed  her  slender  figure, 
but  where,  through  the  interstices  of  the  carv- 
ing, she  could  see  everything. 

When  Buckhurst  returned,  after  satisfying 
with  glib  promises  the  demands  of  his  creditors, 


PRETTY,    MAD    NELLY.  107 

he  found  Nell,  as  he  supposed,  masked  and 
mantled,  seated  near  the  fire,  while  Pepys,  with 
a  look  of  bewilderment  on  his  round  face,  was 
standing  on  the  other  side  of  the  fireplace. 

" Sulking  again,"  he  thought.  "Hang  her! 
She's  never  alike  two  minutes  at  a  time." 

And  indeed  she  never  was.  Like  Cleopatra, 
she  was  a  woman  of  infinite  variety,  and  per- 
haps that  was  the  chief  of  her  many  charms. 

"Why,  Nelly,"  said  Buckhurst,  approaching 
the  big  chair,  "what  is  the  matter?  Is  this 
another  of  your  jokes  ?  " 

"No,  Harry,"  murmured  a  faint  voice,  "I 
am  cold.  I  am  ill." 

"Cold?  111?  Let  me  give  you  a  glass  of 
wine.  It  will  do  you  good." 

The  head  nodded,  rather  energetically  for  a 
sick  girl. 

Buckhurst  poured  out  a  glass  of  claret  and 
handed  it  to  her.  She  raised  it  to  her  lips  and 
drained  it  at  a  gulp. 

"  More ! " 

Again  the  operation  was  repeated. 

"Does  that  revive  you?"  asked  Buckhurst, 
tenderly. 

"Yes,  I  think  it  does.     I'll  take  another." 

This  somewhat  staggered  Buckhurst,  for  Nell 
was  well  known  to  be  exceedingly  abstemious. 
However,  he  complied  with  her  request,  and 


108  NELL   GWYNNE. 

then,  drawing  up  a  chair,  sat  down  beside  her 
and  attempted  to  take  her  hand.  She  repulsed 
him,  however,  somewhat  roughly,  keeping  her 
hands  obstinately  hidden  in  the  folds  of  her 
cloak. 

"Nelly,"  he  murmured,  in  his  most  persua- 
sive accents,  "remove  your  mask  and  let  me 
bask  in  the  light  of  your  loveliness." 

"What  a  beautiful  ring  on  your  finger,"  was 
the  totally  irrelevant  response. 

"A  mere  nothing — a  mere  nothing.  Now, 
Nelly " 

•'I  never  did  see  so  pretty  a  ring,"  persisted 
his  enchantress. 

He  drew  it  off  his  finger. 

"  If  you  admire  it  so  much,  it  should  be 
yours.  What  will  you  give  me  for  it,  Nelly?" 

"  A  kiss,"  shyly. 

"The  ring  is  yours,"  slipping  it  into  her 
hand.  "Now,  for  my  payment." 

In  an  instant  he  was  half  strangled  in  a  vig- 
orous embrace,  and  a  resounding  smack  was 
imprinted  upon  his  lips. 

As  he  succeeded  in  freeing  himself,  a  ringing 
peal  of  laughter  made  music  in  the  room,  and 
to  his  utter  astonishment  Nell's  merry  face  ap- 
peared above  the  back  of  the  chair. 

Durnfounded,  he   glanced   from  Nell  to  the 


PRETTY,    MAD   NELLY.  109 

still  masked  figure,  and  from  the  latter  back  to 
Nell  again. 

"  Now  what  the  foul  fiend  is  all  this?"  he 
magged  to  vociferate  at  last.  "  In  the  devil's 
name,  what  witch  is  this  ?  " 

"No  witch  at  all,"  retorted  a  shrill,  rasping 
voice.  And  the  mask  was  removed,  revealing 
to  his  horrified  gaze  a  rubicund  countenance 
grinning  from  ear  to  ear. 

Buckhurst  involuntarily  started  back. 

"  That  hag  of  the  pit,  Orange  Moll !  " 

Hag !  Moll  was  about  to  make  some  furious 
retort,  but  Nell,  laying  her  hand  upon  her  arm, 
checked  her. 

"Nay,  Moll,"  she  said,  "you  can  afford  to 
forgive  him,  after  the  beautiful  present  he  has 
made  you.  Indeed,  my  lord  Buckhurst,  what  a 
terrible  man  you  must  be,  to  abduct  two  women 
on  the  same  night." 

"Pshaw!"  said  Buckhurst,  sulkily.  "It  is 
a  wretched  jest  of  those  rascals,  Etherege  and 
Ogle.  I  was  afraid  to  trust  them  and  paid 
others  to  do  the  business." 

"  Paid  ?  Ah,  w.ell,  we'll  say  no  more  of  that. 
But  don't  expect  me  to  believe  any  such  cock- 
and-bull  story.  You  always  did  have  a  weak- 
ness for  the  orange  girls,  you  know." 

«Nell " 

<  'Oh,  yes,  you  did;  you  know  you  did.     Why 


110  NELL   G WYNNE. 

what  was  that  rodomontade  you  wrote  of  me, 
when  I  cried  my  wares  with  the  others  ?  Let  me 
see,  how  did  it  go  ?  Um — um — oh,  yes — 

The  orange-basket  her  fair  arm  did  suit, 
Laden  with  pippins  and  Hesperian  fruit ; 
This  first  step  raised,  to  wond'ring  pit  she  sold 
The  lovely  fruit  smiling  with  streaks  of  gold. 

I  forget  the  rest  of  it.  I  thought  it  vastly  pretty 
at  the  time.  But,"  as  if  seized  with  a  sudden 
suspicion,  "gad's  my  life,  I  believe  that  it  was 
Moll  it  was  adjiressed  to,  after  all." 

"Oh,  cease  your  nonsense,  Nell,  and  let's  to 
supper." 

Nell  turned  to  Moll,  who  was  busily  examin- 
ing the  ring  and  mentally  appraising  the  value 
of  it. 

"  Do  you  hear?  "  she  cried,  gaily.  "  Mistress 
Mary  Dobson,  my  lord  Buckhurst  invites  you  to 
supper." 

Buckhurst  made  a  grimace  and  remarked 
ironically : 

"  Mr.  Pepys,  can  you  tell  me  who  is  the  mas- 
ter of  this  house?  " 

"Why,  I  am,  to  be  sure,"  interposed  Nell. 
"But  stay,"  solemnly,  "are  you  certain  that 
the  supper  is  settled  for?" 

"Well,  if  it  isn't,"  replied  Buckhurst,  laugh- 
ing despite  himself,  "  I  assure  you  the  cost  of 
it  won't  come  out  of  your  pocket." 


PRETTY,,    ;<IAD    KELLY.'  Ill 

"  All's  well,  then!  To  table,  good  friends,  to 
table  ! " 

In  spite  of  the  incongruous  elements  of  which 
the  company  was  composed,  the  entertainment 
must  have  been  a  success,  for  Mr.  Pepys  chron- 
icled in  his  diary  that  night : 

To  my  lord  Buckhurst's.  A  most  excellent 
supper  and  a  very  merry  company.  Nell  pret- 
tier and  livelier  than  ever.  Lord,  what  a  whim- 
sical creature  it  is!  Did  enjoy  myself  most 
hugely. 


CHAPTER  V. 

LOVE'S   DESPERATE   GAME. 

PERHAPS  the  most  unhappy  woman  in  all 
England  was  she  who  was  its  queen. 

Catharine  of  Braganza  had  been  reared  in  a 
Portuguese  convent,  had  seen  almost  nothing  of 
the  world  when  she  came  to  London  as  Charles' 
bride,  and  was  not  accustomed  to  the  free  con- 
versation and  licentious  manners  that  prevailed 
at  the  court  of  her  husband.  Much  that  she  saw 
and  heard  disgusted  and  terrified  her.  She  re- 
ally loved  Charles,  but  she  had  never  been  able 
to  obtain  the  least  particle  of  his  affections, 
freely  bestowed  as  they  were  in  other  directions. 
Her  lack  of  beauty  was  undoubtedly  the  chief 
cause  of  this  failure,  for,  although  she  possessed 
a  pair  of  very  fine  eyes  and  an  agreeable  smile, 
her  figure  was  ungainly,  her  complexion  was 
muddy,  and  she  had  a  bad,  uneven  set  of  teeth. 

She  was  a  woman  of  much  cultivation,  how- 
ever, and  excellent  sense,  and  she  used  all  her 
endeavors  to  please  the  king,  being  particularly 
attentive  in  promoting  every  sort  of  amusement 

113 


LOVE'S  DESPERATE   GAME.  113 

and  pleasure  at  which  she  could  be  present  her- 
self. But  her  efforts  were  all  of  no  avail;  she 
could  not  turn  the  king  from  his  profligate 
courses.  Charles  was  always  courteous  to  her 
and  exacted  from  all  the  respect  which  was  due 
to  her  position,  but  he  openly  neglected  her  for 
such  women  as  the  newly-created  peeresses,  the 
Duchess  of  Cleveland  and  the  Countess  of  Castle- 
maine,  who  had  little  but  their  beauty  to  rec- 
ommend them. 

Since  the  departure  of  the  attendants  she  had 
brought  from  Portugal,  whom  she  had  been  ob- 
liged to  send  away  on  account  of  the  dislike 
taken  to  them  by  Charles,  who  denominated 
them  "  those  Portuguese  frights  who  call  them- 
selves maids  of  honor,"  the  poor  queen  had  been 
painfully  lonely.  The  only  woman  in  whose  so- 
ciety she  found  any  pleasure  and  in  whom  she 
could  confide  was  Lady  Frances  Stuart,  who  was 
superior  to  the  indelicacy  of  the  court,  and  re- 
frained from  the  outspoken  language  of  the  age 
when  young  women,  even  of  the  higher  classes, 
conversed  without  circumspection  or  modesty. 

Let  us  look  in  upon  the  queen's  withdra wing- 
room  the  morning  affer  the  king's  public  recep- 
tion. It  was  a  beautiful  room,  furnished  with 
taste  and  luxury,  for  Charles  was  lavish  in  pro- 
viding everything  that  could  contribute  to  his 

neglected  wife's  physical  comfort, 
s 


114  NELL   G  WYNNE. 

It  was  the  hour  of  the  king's  visit,  for  each 
morning  he  scrupulously  devoted  a  certain  por- 
tion of  his  time  to  his  wife,  a  visit  which,  when 
out  of  her  hearing  he  called  doing  penance,  but 
which  the  poor  queen  looked  forward  to  as  the 
one  bright  spot  of  her  day. 

On  this  particular  morning  there  were  present 
besides  the  king  and  queen,  Winifred  Price  and 
Mary  Jennings,  two  newly-appointed  and  very 
pretty  maids  of  honor;  Lady  Sanderson,  the 
"mother"  of  the  maids;  Lady  Frances  Stuart, 
and  James,  Duke  of  York,  the  king's  brother. 
No  two  brothers  were  ever  more  widely  different 
in  feature  and  character  than  Charles  and  James 
Stuart.  The  latter  was  ugly  in  person,  arbi- 
trary, obstinate  and  mean  in  disposition,  and 
with  none  of  that  charm  of  manner  which  dis- 
tinguished his  brother.  Moreover,  he  was  much 
Charles'  inferior  in  natural  ability.  His  witty 
and  graceless  grace  of  Buckingham  was  net  far 
wrong  when  he  declared  that  the  difference  be- 
tween them  was  that  "the  king  could  see  things 
if  he  would  and  the  duke  would  see  things  if 
he  could." 

York  was  a  thorn  in.  Charles'  flesh  at  all 
times,  and  this  morning  he  had  been  particu- 
larly disagreeable,  having  had  the  bad  taste  to 
lecture  the  king  on  the  irregularity  of  his  con- 
duct in  the  presence  of  the  queen,  who  sat  si- 


LOVE'S  DESPERATE  GAME.  115 

lently  by,  turning  alternately  white  and  red  at 
her  brother-in-law's  strictures.  For  this,  how- 
ever, Charles  cared  but  little,  for  he  made  slight 
attempt  to  conceal  from  the  queen  his  misdo- 
ings, but  he  was  annoyed  at  his  brother's 
preachy  interference. 

"  Odds  fish,  man,"  he  exclaimed  at  last,  im- 
patiently, "the  matter  is  not  worth  all  this  to- 
do.  I  love  a  pretty  face,  yes,  and,"  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye,  "  that  is  more  than  can  be 
said  for  yourself.  You  are  a  Catholic,  and  by 
Heaven,  I  believe  your  favorites  are  given  you 
as  penance  for  your  sins." 

The  maids  of  honor  laughed  aloud  at  this,  for 
Lady  Bagot  and  the  other  ladies,  whose  society 
the  duke  affected,  were  notoriously  ugly. 

York  scowled.  To  a  man  of  his  serious  dis- 
position Charles'  levity  was  particularly  rasp- 
ing. 

"And  that  is  not  all,"  he  said,  gruffly,  "your 
majesty's  escapades  with  Rochester,  Bucking- 
ham and  their  ilk  are  unseemly,  nay,  worse,  in 
you  a  crime." 

"  Since  when  was  my  brother  my  keeper  to 
bait  me  as  he  would  a  bear?"  replied  Charles, 
with  outwardly  imperturbable  good  humor,    "jtf* 
crime !  tush,  your  grace,  Heaven  will  not  damn 
a  man  for  a  little  irregular  pleasure." 

"May  Heaven  forgive  the  blasphemy  I"   re- 


116  NELL   GWYKNE. 

sponded  the  duke  with  pious  fervor ;  "  but  it 
was  not  of  the  future  world  I  was  thinking,  but 
of  this.  The  freedom  with  which  you  allow 
your  person  to  be  approached  by  persons  of  all 
conditions  is  dangerous  to  your  life." 

A  smile  flitted  across  the  face  of  the  king. 

"No  kind  of  danger,  James,"  he  replied,  sly- 
ly, "  for  I  am  sure  no  man  will  take  away  my 
life  to  make  you  king." 

At  this  thrust,  even  the  queen  could  not  re- 
press a  laugh,  and,  under  cover  of  the  merri- 
ment, Charles  crossed  the  room  to  where  Lady 
Frances  Stuart  was  standing  alone  near  the  fire- 
place. More  than  usually  lovely  did  she  look 
this  morning.  Her  robe  of  blue  and  silver  bro- 
cade, worn  with  an  elegance  gained  by  a  long 
residence  in  Paris  and  which  was  in  striking 
contrast  to  the  slatternly  carelessness  displayed 
by  some  of  the  ladies  of  quality,  was  peculiarly 
becoming  to  her  fair  beauty. 

"  Is  Britannia  still  obdurate?  "  asked  Charles, 
in  a  low  tone,  and  fixing  upon  her  a  gaze  full 
of  intense  admiration.  "  Will  she  never  grant 
her  king  a  moment  in  private  ?  " 

"Her  king  has  a  right  to  command  his  sub- 
ject and  his  cousin,"  replied  Lady  Frances, 
calmly,  although  the  rose  in  her  cheek  deep- 
ened just  a  trifle. 

The  term  "  cousin  "  was  not  misapplied,  for 


LOVE'S   DESPERATE   GAME.  117 

Lady  Frances  was  descended  from  the   same 
stock  as  royalty  itself. 

"Then  you  consent?"  whispered  Charles, 
eagerly. 

"Yes." 

"When?" 

"After  your  majesty's  departure,  the  queen 
attends  private  mass.  I  will  make  some  excuse 
and  remain  here." 

"I  will  depart  at  once  then." 

And  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  re- 
turned to  the  queen  and  took  leave  of  her,  with 
a  few  pleasant,  careless  words,  which  meant 
nothing  but  which  set  poor  Catharine's  heart 
fluttering  again  with  that  hope  which  nothing 
could  entirely  down. 

After  the  king  and  the  duke  had  gone,  the 
queen  dismissed  her  ladies,  all  save  Frances. 

"My  Frances,"  she  cried  when  they  were 
alone,  her  eyes  still  aglow  from  the  king's  last 
words,  "My  Frances,  you,  who  are  my  only 
friend  since  they  banished  my  poor  Portuguese, 
let  me  talk  to  you.  He  was  more  affectionate 
to-day  than  usual,  was  he  not  ?  He  may  learn 
to  love  me  yet." 

The  wistful  tone  in  which  this  was  said  went 
straight  to  Frances'  heart. 

"Your  majesty  is  so  good,"  she  said,  eva- 
sively ;  "  who  could  fail  to  love  you  ?  " 


118  NELL  GWYNNE. 

"  Ah,  even  were  I  good,  goodness  is  not  al- 
ways potent  over  men's  hearts.  Oh,  Frances, 
teach  me  how  to  win  his.  I  love  him  so,  and  I 
know  not  how  to  make  him  love  me." 

Lady  Frances  scarcely  knew  what  to  answer. 
She  was  convinced  that  the  king's  affections 
would  never  be  bestowed  on  her  who  should 
have  possessed  them  by  right,  but  she  could  not 
wound  her  gentle  mistress  by  betraying  her  be- 
lief. 

"  Time  works  wonders,"  she  answered  after  a 
pause.  "  Who  can  tell  what  the  future  may 
have  in  store?  And  for  the  present,  dear 
madam,  you  have  the  king's  respect,  which — 
which  those  others  have  not." 

The  queen  shook  her  head  sadly. 

"  Respect  is  cold.  I  fain  would  have  some- 
thing warmer." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  and  then  Cath- 
arine continued,  timidly : 

"  Frances,  I  am  cooped  up  here,  weary.  I 
long  for  some  amusement.  Vauxhall,  Spring 
Oardens — why  should  we  not  go  there  ?  " 

"  We,  your  majesty  ! "  exclaimed  Lady  Fran- 
ces in  startled  surprise. 

"Yes,  why  not?  Jennings  and  Price  are 
wild  to  go,  and  they  have  but  little  amusement 
here."  She  paused  and  then  continued  almost 


LOVE'S   DESPERATE   GAME. 

piteously:  "Nay,  I  cannot  play  a  part  with 
you,  Frances.  I  myself  long  to  go." 

"You!"  ejaculated  Frances,  more  and  more 
astonished. 

"Yes,  I!  some  night  when  Charles  is  to  be 
at  one  of  those  places." 

«<  But  why,  your  majesty? " 

The  queen  flushed  and  hesitated. 

"  Because,"  she  faltered,  "  I  would  be  a  wit- 
ness of  what  pleases  him  best.  I  would  learn 
what  those  amusements  are  which  he  affects.  I 
would  see  something  real,  be  it  what  it  may.  At 
the  court  I  learn  nothing." 

Frances  knelt  down  by  the  neglected  wife's 
side  and  took  one  of  her  hands  in  both  her  own. 

"  Dear  madam,"  she  began,  earnestly  but 
affectionately,  "may  I  speak  my  true  mind  to 
you?" 

"Oh,  do,  do!"  cried  the  queen  fervidly,  re- 
turning the  warm  pressure  of  the  girl.  "It  is  so 
rare  for  me  to  hear  the  truth." 

"  No  man's  love  that  deserves  the  name  was 
ever  won  by  woman's  stooping.  She  that  hopes 
to  win  it  must  be  man's  superior.  Oh,  dear  lady 
and  mistress,  pray  for  him  you  love ;  suffer  for 
him,  die  for  him  if  need  be ;  but,  never  to  win 
return  of  his  affection,  descend  from  your  dig- 
nity of  queen,  your  higher  dignity  of  woman." 


120  NELL   GWYKNE. 

Catharine  made  no  reply,  but  she  leaned  over 
and  kissed  Frances  upon  the  forehead. 

As  she  did  so  the  faint  reverberation  of  the 
chapel  bell  fell  upon  her  ear,  and  she  rose  hastily 
to  her  feet,  crossing  herself  as  she  did  so. 

*•'  May  the  Virgin  and  all  the  saints  forgive 
me ! "  she  murmured.  "  I  have  forgotten  God 
of  soul  for  God  of  heart.  Come,  Frances." 

"  I  pray  your  majesty  to  excuse  me  this  morn- 
ing ;  I  have  a  slight  migraine." 

"Oh,  and  I  have  been  worrying  you.  For- 
give me,  dear  child.  Oh,  my  Frances,  what 
-should  I  do  without  you?" 

She  kissed  the  girl  once  again,  and  then  hur- 
ried away  to  her  devotions. 

Left  alone,  Frances'  mind  reverted  to  her 
own  troubles.  The  unwelcome  attentions  of 
the  king  had  become  unbearable  to  her,  and  she 
had  determined,  once  for  all,  to  put  an  end  to 
them.  It  was  for  that  reason  that  she  had  con- 
sented to  see  him  alone,  and  for  one  other  also, 
to  induce  him  to  make  amends  for  the  unde- 
served treatment  he  had  accorded  to  the  Duke 
of  Richmond. 

She  was  roused  from  her  meditations  by  the 
cautious  opening  of  the  door,  and  looking  up 
she  saw  the  smiling  face  of  the  king.  She  rose 
at  once  and  bent  low  in  a  profound  obeisance. 

''Nay,   Lady   Frances,"    he    protested,   "no 


LOVE'S   DESPERATE   GAME.  *121 

homage,  I  pray.  In  your  presence  Charles 
would  forget  the  king." 

"  Not  as  he  did  yesterday,  I  hope." 

"What  mean  you?  Ohl  that  salt-water 
swab ! " 

"Pardon  me,  your  majesty,  a  noble  gentle- 
man and  a  faithful  servant." 

Charles  made  an  impatient  movement. 

"  I  did  not  come  here  to  speak  of  him." 

"I  refuse  to  speak  on  other  subjects,  your 
majesty,  until  that  matter  is  settled." 

"So!  so!"  ejaculated  the  king,  with  some 
anger.  "  What  is  this  fellow  to  you  that  you 
take  such  an  interest  in  him?" 

"Nothing,  your  majesty,"  replied  Lady  Fran- 
ces, unflinchingly  telling  the  lie,  when  to  speak 
the  truth  meant  ruin  to  her  lover.  "But,  as  I 
was  the  unwilling  cause  of  his  ill-treatment,  I 
would  be  the  one  to  repair  it." 

"  Ill-treatment !  What  the  plague  did  the 
man  mean  by  thrusting  his  frowsy  flag  in  my 
face  when  I  would  have  been  alone  with  you  ? 
But  that  is  nothing  beside  your  frowns.  Do 
but  smile  and  I  will  perform  any  penance  you 
choose  to  impose." 

"You  will?"  and  there  could  be  no  com- 
plaint of  the  lack  of  smiling  brightness  in  her 
face  now. 

<"  Then,  repair  the  injury  you  have  done  to 


122  FELL   G WYNNE. 

the  Duke  of  Richmond,"  she  demanded,  with  a 
lightness  and  gaiety  which  did  much  to  disarm 
any  suspicion  that  the  king  might  have  had 
that  it  was  a  matter  of  personal  moment  to  her. 

«  But  how  ?  " 

"  Grant  him  an  audience  forthwith  before  the 
court  with  such  honor  as  his  name  and  gallant 
deeds  deserve." 

This  was  a  hard  pill  for  Charles  to  swallow, 
but  with  a  grimace  he  forced  it  down. 

"  Needs  must,  I  suppose,  when  the  beauty  of 
Britannia  drives,"  he  said,  and  rang  a  silver 
bell  which  stood  upon  the  table.  The  page  in 
waiting  in  the  corridor  at  once  appeared. 

"  Go  to  his  Grace  of  Richmond's  mansion.  It 
is  close  by.  Do  you  know  where  it  is? " 

"Yes,  sire." 

"  Say  to  him  that  we  grant  him  an  audience 
in  half  an  hour." 

"Sooner,"  whispered  Lady  Frances,  impelled 
by  a  twofold  reason — to  expedite  the  repara- 
tion due  to  Richmond  and  to  cut  as  short  as 
possible  the  interview  with  the  king. 

"Plague  take  it!"  muttered  Charles.  "la 
half  an  hour,"  aloud  to  the  page. 

"And  now,"  when  the  boy  had  departed  on 
his  errand,  "let  the  magnanimity  of  King 
Charles  the  Second  plead  for  the  gracelessnesa 


LOVE'S  DESPERATE   GAME.  123 

of  that  sad  rogue,  Charles  Stuart,  your  most  lov- 
ing cousin." 

This  was  said  in  his  most  winning  manner, 
but  it  had  no  effect  upon  his  companion,  who 
answered  him  quietly : 

"Ever  my  most  gracious  sovereign." 

"  Odds  fish  1 "  broke  out  Charles,  impetu- 
ously, "why  will  you  be  eternally  thrusting 
that  accursed  crown  in  my  face?"  Then  ap- 
proaching close  to  her  side  he  continued  with  a 
passion  which  fairly  startled  her :  "  Here  is  no 
king,  I  tell  you,  but  a  man — a  loving  and  some- 
what hot-blooded  man." 

Here  was  the  opportunity  she  desired,  and 
instantly  recovering  herself,  she  grasped  it  like 
the  brave-hearted  woman  she  was. 

Looking  the  king  full  in  the  face  she  replied 
calmly  and  distinctly,  each  word  falling  from 
her  lips  as  clear-cut  as  crystal : 

"  And  here  is  a  woman,  an  unprotected,  or- 
phaned woman.  If  your  kingly  crown  restrain 
you  not,  let  her  crown  of  maidenhood  make  her 
sacred." 

Involuntarily  the  king  drew  back,  awed  by 
the  purity  of  her  face  and  the  dignity  of  her 
bearing.  But  he  was  not  a  man  to  be  repulsed 
so  easily.  He  was  at  last  alone  with  the  woman 
who  had  entirely  captured  his  royal  fancy,  and 
he  was  determined  to  make  the  most  of  it. 


124  NELL   G WYNNE. 

"Pshaw!"  he  said,  with  a  gleam  in  his  eyes 
that  despite  all  her  control  made  Frances  Stuart 
shiver,  "away  with  all  royalty,  save  that  of 
King  Cupid,  whose  vassals  we  both  are,  the  only 
king  who  knows  no  law  but  choice,  no  will  but 
his  own." 

"Your  majesty's  love-canons  and  mine  are 
strangely  different,"  said  Lady  Frances  with  a 
sarcasm  so  quiet  as  to  be  scarcely  apparent, 
even  to  the  king's  quick  wits. 

"  Let  me  teach  you  mine,"  he  cried,  eagerly. 

Lady  Frances  drew  herself  up  in  all  the  pride 
of  her  outraged  womanhood. 

"Nay,  sire,  why  look  for  more  pupils?"  and 
the  irony  now  was  plainly  apparent.  "  Surely 
you  have  enough  already,  and  you  would  find 
me  as  dull  as  you  have  found  them  apt." 

"You  do  yourself  wrong.  Do  not  compare 
yourself  with  those  beings  whose  very  names 
poison  the  air  you  breathe.  I  am  not  the  dull 
fool  you  perchance  think  me.  If  I  have  been 
their  slave,  I  have  never  been  their  dupe.  No, 
it  is  not  the  king  sated  with  many  conquests 
who  now  pleads  before  you,  but  the  man  who 
for  the  first  time  loves  with  the  passion  which 
purifies  like  fire." 

As  he  spoke,  his  face  became  transfigured 
and  his  tone  had  the  ring  of  truth.  He  thor- 
oughly believed  for  the  moment  what  he  said ; 


LOVE'S   DESPERATE    GAME.  125 

and  indeed,  perhaps  Frances  Stuart  did  inspire 
in  Charles  the  Second  the  nearest  approach  to  a 
genuine,  pure  love  that  that  monarch  of  many 
amours  ever  experienced. 

The  lady  herself  was  inwardly  deeply  agi- 
tated, but  she  was  more  than  ever  determined 
to  put  an  end  to  what  was  causing  her  such 
pain  and  discomfort. 

"  If  I  could  believe  this,  sire,"  she  began,  hes- 
itatingly. 

"  You  would  love  me,"  cried  the  king  ar- 
dently. 

"  No  !  "  firmly  and  scornfully.  "  I  would 
never  see  you  again !  " 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  sincerity  of  this 
response,  which  was  like  a  dash  of  cold  water 
upon  the  kindled  hopes  of  the  king.  He  was 
not  accustomed  to  be  treated  in  this  manner, 
and  the  resistance  with  which  he  met  served 
but  to  increase  his  passion  the  more.  Carried 
away  by  his  feelings  he  flung  himself  at  her 
feet. 

<'  Oh,  Frances  Stuart,"  he  murmured  in  gen- 
uine distress,  "have  you  no  pity  on  the  most 
unhappy  man  in  England !  " 

Frances  started  back.     This  was  horrible. 

"  For  heaven's  sake  rise,  sire,"  she  exclaimed 
in  a  fever  of  anxiety  and  alarm.  "  If  any  one 
should  see  you  in  this  posture!  Rise,  I  sayl" 


126  NELL  GWYNNE. 

Slowly  4he  king  obeyed.  The  ardor  died  out 
of  his  face  and  was  replaced  by  an  expression 
of  sullenness. 

"Your  majesty  must  remember  whom  I 
serve,"  continued  Frances,  with  a  pleading 
earnestness,  "your  wife,  your  wronged,  un- 
happy wife,  whose  heart  is  crying  for  your  love 
and  whom  alone  you  can  love  without  shame  to 
yourself." 

"  Lady  Frances  Stuart,  you  forget  yourself," 
replied  Charles,  harshly,  his  anger  rapidly  ris- 
ing. "  I  did  not  come  here  to  hear  a  sermon. 
Pah !  I  know  your  sex.  I  can  read  this  cold- 
ness. It  is  not  that  you  cannot  love,  but  that 
you  love  another." 

Lady  Frances  started,  and  for  a  moment  her 
composure  forsook  her. 

"Your  majesty,"  she  faltered  in  confusion. 

"But  let  him  beware!"  interposed  Charles, 
furiously.  "Let  him  not  cross  my  path.  Let 
him  who  comes  between  you  and  me  look  to 
himself.  The  king  brooks  no  rival  with  Fran- 
ces Stuart." 

As  these  arrogant  words  fell  upon  her  ear, 
Lady  Frances'  whole  demeanor  was  trans- 
formed as  if  by  magic.  All  the  pride  of  her 
royal  blood  flamed  through  her  veins.  Superb 
in  her  fierce  indignation,  with  glowing  cheeks 
and  flashing  eyes,  she  turned  upon  her  king  as 


LOVE'S   DESPERATE   GAME.  127 

if  she  had  been  an  insulted  empress  and  he  the 
humblest  of  her  vassals.  Reckless  of  all  conse- 
quences, she  cried  impetuously  and  defiantly : 

"  Even  did  I  love  another,  you  could  hardly 
deny  me  the  right  to  love  one,  you  who  love  so 
many !  The  man  whom  Frances  Stuart  loves 
will  brave  even  Charles  Stuart's  anger!" 

This  sudden  outburst  had  the  effect  of  calm- 
ing Charles.  It  was  with  no  fury,  but  with  icy 
determination  that  he  answered : 

"  'Tis  well.  Whoever  he  is  let  him  take  heed 
to  his  footing.  They  all  plot  against  their  king, 
and  their  king,  poor  fo.ol,  laughs  and  forgives 
them.  But  for  this  one,  let  his  foot  trip,  and 
his  head  shall  answer  for  it !  Aye,  his  head, 
madam,  though  half  the  nation  mourn  about 
his  scaffold!" 

There  was  a  loud  slam  of  the  door,  and  Fran- 
ces was  alone,  the  threatening  words  ringing 
dully  in  her  ears  like  the  clods  of  earth  upon  a 
coffin-lid.  All  her  imperiousness,  all  her  bra- 
vado was  gone.  Danger !  Danger  to  the  man 
she  loved,  and  through  her  folly !  White,  weak 
and  trembling  she  sank  into  a  chair.  What 
was  to  be  done  ?  Useless  to  appeal  to  the  king's 
generosity.  In  this  case  she  knew  full  well 
that  the  easy-going  monarch  would  be  as  un- 
yielding as  steel.  Why,  oh,  why  had  she  been 
given  this  fatal  beauty  to  thus  attract  the 


128  NELL  GWYNNE. 

king's  caprice?  And  that  other  Charles,  Rich- 
mond, whom  she  loved  with  every  fibre  of  her 
being,  with  a  first,  last  eternal  love,  and  who 
had  so  cruelly  doubted  her.  And  yet  he  would 
doubt  her  even  more  in  the  future,  lose  all  faith 
in  her,  perhaps  believe  the  worst  of  her.  For, 
there  was  but  one  thing  to  be  done  now — she 
must  as  jealously  hide  her  love  as  she  had  once 
thought  proudly  to  avow  it.  Her  love  should 
not  destroy  him,  but  save  him.  Ah !  cruel  king, 
his  foot  shall  not  slip  1  Frances  Stuart  will  see 
to  that.  It  is  woman's  wit  against  man's  cru- 
elty, and  woman's  wit  shall  triumph  in  the  end ! 

She  glanced  up  proudly,  and  there  before  her 
stood  the  very  man  of  whom  her  heart  was  full. 

Instead  of  showing  Richmond  to  the  king's 
closet  the  page  had  made  a  mistake  and  brought 
him  to  the  queen's  apartments.  He  had  entered 
so  quietly  and  Lady  Frances  had  been  so  ab- 
sorbed in  her  thoughts  that  she  had  not  heard 
him. 

"  Richmond,"  she  murmured,  faintly. 

"Yes,  Richmond,"  he  replied,  with  cold  re- 
pression. "  I  scarce  expected  to  find  your  lady- 
ship here.  I  was  told  that  his  majesty  had 
deigned  to  grant  me  an  audience,  and  the  page 
has  even  now  gone  to  announce  my  presence." 

As  he  spoke  he  was  thinking:  "The  king 
has  been  here.  That  flush  upon  her  cheek  may 


LOVE,S   DESPERATE   GAME.  129 

be  due  to  his  caresses,"  and  the  very  thought 
fired  his  brain  with  a  sensation  akin  to  madness. 

"  It  was  at  my  request,"  said  Lady  Frances, 
gently,  "that  his  majesty  has  promised  to  re- 
pair the — the  seeming  slight  he  put  upon  you." 

The  blood  mounted  redly  to  Richmond's  fore- 
head and  his  grasp  tightened  to  a  vise-like  grip 
upon  the  battle  flag  he  carried. 

"  At  your  request !  "  he  exclaimed,  hoarsely 
and  with  exceeding  bitterness.  "And  I  must 
stoop  to  take  honor  from  the  hand  that  may  but 
now  have  pressed  yours  with  passion.  But  that 
he  is  my  king "  and  he  laid  his  hand  threat- 
eningly upon  his  sword-hilt. 

Lady  Frances  started  to  her  feet  and  grasped 
his  arm  in  an  agony  of  entreaty. 

"  Richmond  !  For  the  love  of  heaven  be  more 
temperate  !  Be  master  of  yourself  !  You  shall 
know  all.  It  is  true.  The  king  has  but  a  few 
moments  since  urged  his  suit  to  me,  and " 

He  roughly  shook  off  her  hand,  and  inter- 
rupted with  hot  scorn : 

"The  confession  comes  somewhat  late,  my 
lady.  Thanks  to  the  gossip  with  which  the 
court  is  ringing,  I  know  all  without  your  kind 
offices.  Pray,  spare  your  lips  and  my  ears  the 
recital  of  your  shame." 

A  fierce  thrill  of  indignation  leapt  up  in  her 

aching  heart,  only  to  be  immediately  and  stern- 
G 


130  NELL   GWYNNE. 

ly  repressed.  This  was  no  time  for  resentment. 
Matters  were  in  too  critical  a  condition  for  that. 
Let  him  think  of  her  as  he  would,  hate  her  if 
he  chose ;  so  he  would  be  safe  until  she  dared 
to  reveal  the  truth.  For  the  present  it  would 
be  words  wasted  to  attempt  to  convince  him  of 
the  foul  injustice  of  his  suspicions. 

"Richmond,"  she  began,  forcing  herself  to 
be  calm,  "will  you  grant  me  one  request? 
Meet  me  this  evening  in  the  queen's  gallery.  I 
have  that  to  say  to  you  which  you  must  hear, 
both  for  your  safety  and  my  honor." 

For  a  moment  he  was  silent,  half  tempted  to 
agree  to  hear  her ;  but  it  was  only  for  a  moment, 
and  then  his  miserable  doubts,  which  were  fast 
assuming  certainty  in  his  mind,  swept  away  all 
other  considerations,  and  he  replied  coldly : 

"  It  is  uncourteous  perhaps  to  refuse  the  re- 
quest of  so  fair  and  favored  a  lady,  but  what 
you  do  me  the  honor  to  propose  to  me  is  impos- 
sible." 

"  Impossible !  You  decline  me  an  interview, 
then  ?" 

"  I  regret  to  be  obliged  to  do  so.  But,  my 
flag  and  letters  delivered,  I  return  this  evening 
to  the  fleet." 

"  To  the  fleet !     To-night ! " 

"Yes.  The  Dutch  still  hold  the  sea.  We 
can  scarce  fail  to  meet  them  ere  long.  And," 


LOVE'S   DESPERATE   GAME.  131 

with  a  mixture  of  stern  determination  and  hope- 
less despair,  "it  will  go  hard  with  me  if  I  can- 
not find  a  friendly  bullet  and  a  sailor's  honor- 
able grave.  It  is  all  I  have  to  hope  for  now." 

As  he  spoke,  he  turned  his  back  upon  her, 
and  walked  away  to  the  fire-place. 

Frances  grew  white  to  the  very  lips  and  she 
stretched  out  her  arms  toward  him  in  agoniz- 
ing supplication.  But  before  she  could  speak 
there  fell  upon  her  ears  the  announcement : 

"  His  majesty,  the  king  !  " 

Ah !  The  time  had  come.  Away  with  all 
weakness !  Her  woman's  wit  must  now  come 
to  the  rescue,  and  at  all  costs  save  the  man  she 
loved.  Yes,  save  him  she  must  and  would !  No 
matter  what  the  consequences  might  be,  she 
would  prevent  his  throwing  away  his  life  and 
with  it  hers  that  hung  upon  it. 

The  king  hurriedly  entered  the  room,  accom- 
panied by  the  Duke  of  York,  Lord  Shaftesbury 
and  Samuel  Pepys,  whom,  as  representatives  of 
the  Admiralty,  he  had  commanded  to  be  present 
at  the  audience  with  Richmond. 

As  Charles  saw  who  the  occupants  of  the 
room  were,  Lady  Frances'  defiant  words  re- 
turned to  him.  Was  this  sailor  duke  the  man 
she  loved?  Consumed  with  jealousy,  he  de- 
termined to  discover  this  if  possible. 


132  NELL   G  WYNNE, 

With  a  courteous  enough  salutation  to  Rich- 
mond, he  said  to  Frances  : 

"  Lady  Frances,  a  word  with  you,"  and  draw- 
ing her  a  little  aside,  he  demanded  abruptly: 
"You  pleaded  with  me  for  this  duke;  what  did 
it  mean?  " 

Oh !  the  strength  of  woman,  when  there  is 
question  of  him  whom  she  loves  !  Man,  the  so- 
called  lord  of  creation,  can  never  hope  to  ap- 
proach it.  With  consummate  self-possession, 
without  a  quiver  of  a  feature  or  a  tremor  of  the 
voice,  Lady  Frances  answered : 

"And  because  I  asked  for  simple  justice,  your 
majesty  infers  that  he  may  be  the  rival  you~ 
threatened  so  soundly." 

"  Beware  !  'tis  ill  to  jest  on  some  subjects." 

She  smiled  up  in  his  face  in  the  most  guileless 
manner  in  the  world. 

"  Nay,  if  your  majesty  is  determined  to  sus- 
pect all  I  ask  favors  for,  your  hands  will  be 
full;  for  I  have  another  suit  to  proffer." 

"Command  me,  but  not  for  this  Richmond." 

"  On  the  contrary,  my  suit  will  be  apt  to  of- 
fend his  grace  of  Richmond,"  replied  Frances, 
still  smiling. 

"*Tis  granted,  then,"  with  a  glance  at  Rich- 
mond, who  stood  moodily  apart,  this  whispered 
conversation  of  Lady  Frances  with  the  king 


LOVE'S   DESPERATE   GAME.  133 

being  to  his  fevered  imagination  but  another 
confirmation  of  what  he  feared. 

That  others  also  drew  their  conclusions  was 
evident  from  the  significant  glances  exchanged 
between  Shaftesbury  and  the  Duke  of  York. 

"Then,  this  is  my  suit,"  continued  Frances, 
"that  your  majesty  take  the  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond's command  and  give  it " 

"To  whom?" 

"  To  my  lord  Buckhurst." 

Charles  gave  a  quick  glance  into  the  fair, 
calm  face  before  him,  and  then  breathed  a  sigh 
of  relief.  So  Richmond  was  not  the  man  after 
all !  Buckhurst  ?  But  a  moment's  reflection  con- 
vinced him  that  this  idea  was  absurd.  Buck- 
hurst was  rarely  at  court,  and,  moreover,  he  was 
not  the  man  to  take  captive  the  fancy  of  such  a 
woman  as  La  Belle  Stuart.  Well,  so  long  as  it 
was  not  Richmond,  that  was  enough  for  the 
present.  Besides,  to  send  Buckhurst  from  Lon- 
don was  by  no  means  disagreeable.  His  lord- 
ship had  been  altogether  too  hot  after  pretty 
Nelly,  and  it  might  be  well  to  be  rid  of  him. 

"Your  suit  is  granted,"  he  said  aloud.  "At 
Britannia's  request,  my  lord  Buckhurst  shall 
have  the  command." 

"  Master  Pepys  ! " 

"  Your  majesty ! " 


134  NELL  GWYNNE. 

"What  is  the  name  of  the  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond's ship?" 

"  The  Rupert,  sire,"  replied  Pepys,  thanking 
his  lucky  stars  that  he  happened  to  know,  and 
so  the  king  had  not  caught  him  napping. 

Charles  turned  toward  the  waiting  duke. 

"  Now,  my  lord  of  Richmond." 

Richmond  advanced  and,  kneeling,  laid  the 
flag  and  a  bundle  of  papers  at  the  king's  feet. 

"I  am  charged  to  present  to  your  majesty 
these  letters  from  Sir  Edward  Spragge,  contain- 
ing an  account  of  the  last  sea-fight;  and  this 
flag,  the  trophy  of  the  victory  that  has  at- 
tended your  majesty's  arms." 

"'Tis  well,"  returned  the  king,  graciously. 
"  Sir  Edward  has  selected  a  worthy  messenger." 

"And,  this  duty  done,  I  crave  your  majesty's 
permission  to  return  to  the  fleet." 

"Not  so.  We  cannot  risk  all  our  dukes  in 
the  struggle  with  these  knavish  Mynheers.  We 
would  have  your  grace  near  our  person." 

"But,  sire,"  protested  Richmond,  in  astonish- 
ment, "  it  is  my  dearest  wish  to  serve  your  maj- 
esty and  defend  my  country  at  sea." 

"  And  our  good  pleasure  is  to  keep  you  for 
use  on  shore.  Your  command  is  filled  up." 

At  this  abrupt  and  unexpected  declaration, 
Richmond  turned  scarlet  with  resentment  and 
indignation.  Lady  Frances'  heart  ached  with 


LOVE'S   DESPERATE   GAME.  135 

pity  for  him,  but  even  had  she  had  any  desire  to 
undo  what  she  herself  had  brought  about  it 
was  too  late  now. 

Richmond  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  and  in  a 
voice  choked  with  emotion,  repeated : 

"  My  command  filled  up  !  Who  has  prevail- 
ed upon  your  majesty  to  put  this  shame  upon 
me?" 

The  king  was  silent  for  a  moment  before 
replying.  It  had  suddenly  occurred  to  him 
that  this  might  be  a  woman's  cunning  to  avert 
suspicion  from  Richmond.  He  determined  to 
watch  them  both. 

"  Your  ship  is  wanted  by  a  fair  lady,  and  un- 
der such  conditions,  I  am  sure  that  your  grace 
is  too  gallant  to  regret  the  sacrifice." 

"May  I  ask  the  fair  lady's  name?"  ejacu- 
lated the  duke  with  difficulty. 

"  Lady  Frances  Stuart,  here.  She  has  asked 
the  command  of  the  Rupert  to  give  it  to  Lord 
Buckhurst." 

As  the  king  spoke,  he  was  watching  Lady 
Frances  narrowly,  but  not  a  muscle  of  the  fair 
countenance  changed;  it  was  as  peaceful  and 
smiling  as  a  May  morning.  Not  so  with  the 
duke,  however.  His  brow  grew  black  as  night, 
and  upon  his  lips  there  trembled  a  furious  mal- 
ediction, which  was  with  difficulty  repressed. 


136  NELL 

Charles  was  satisfied ;  there  was  no  collusion 
here. 

"Mr.  Pepys,"  he  said,  "see  that  my  lord 
Buckhurst's  commission  is  made  out  for  the  Ru- 
pert. And  now,"  he  continued,  in  a  sprightly 
tone,  "who's  for  the  playhouse?  It  is  already 
after  four.  Fair  Lady  Frances,  will  you  honor 
my  servants  with  your  presence  ?  " 

"With  pleasure,  your  majesty,"  replied  Lady 
Frances,  determined  to  play  out  her  part  to  the 
end,  although  no  one  but  herself  would  ever 
know  the  tortures  it  caused  her  to  do  so. 

"  My  Britannia,  you  see  how  I  obey,"  mur- 
mured the  king,  as  he  led  her  from  the  room. 
"  At  your  bidding  I  have  affronted  the  proudest 
nobleman  in  England." 

"I  thank  your  majesty,"  replied  Frances, 
forcing  her  lips  to  smile,  while  her  heart  lay  in 
her  breast  like  a  lump  of  lead. 

In  the  queen's  withdrawing-room  Richmond 
stood  alone — dazed,  crushed,  desperate  at  the 
insult  thus  publicly  proffered  him  at  the  insti- 
gation of  the  woman  he  loved,  the  woman  who 
had  professed  to  love  him. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DETHRONE     HIM  ! 

HOW  Richmond  found  his  way  out  of  the 
palace  and  into  the  open  streets,  he 
never  knew.  He  strode  away  aimlessly,  heed- 
less of  those  about  him,  neither  knowing  nor 
caring  where  he  went.  Once  or  twice  he  was 
accosted ;  but  he  returned  no  answer  to  the  sal- 
utations. In  fact,  he  did  not  hear  them. 

One  man  who  was  thus  ignored,  a  man  with 
a  thin,  cadaverous  face  and  hollow  eyes,  turned 
and  walked  after  him. 

On  went  the  duke,  followed  at  a  short  dis- 
tance by  the  other,  now  turning  to  the  right, 
now  to  the  left,  now  straight  ahead,  until  he 
came  to  Covent  Garden,  with  its  noisy,  ill-smell- 
ing market.  Here  he  seemed  to  recover  him- 
self, for  he  passed  his  hand  over  his  eyes  and 
looked  about  him,  like  a  man  suddenly  awaken- 
ing from  a  deep  slumber. 

Just  across  the  way  was  a  coffee-house,  bear- 
ing the  sign  of  "The  Royal  Oak,"  a  most  popu- 
lar one  at  that  time  on  account  of  the  friendly 

137 


138  NELL  GWYNNE. 

branches  that  had  once  sheltered  the  king  when 
a  fugitive. 

Into  this  coffee-house  Richmond  turned.  The 
public  room,  with  its  clean-swept  brick  floor  and 
its  monumental  fire-place  was  deserted  save  for 
half  a  dozen,  young  gallants,  who  were  making 
merry  at  the  expense  of  a  rural  squire  who  had 
come  to  town  to  see  the  sights ;  at  his  expense 
both  figuratively  and  literally,  for.  while  his 
purse  paid  for  the  wine  they  were  consuming, 
they  were  making  merry  with  insolent  jests  at 
his  countrified  dress,  manner  and  accent. 

Richmond  sat  down  at  a  table  in  the  corner 
furthest  from  the  noisy  roysterers  and  ordered 
of  the  waiter  a  stoop  of  Burgundy.  Like  one 
fevered  with  a  thirst  which  would  not  be 
quenched,  he  drank  bowl  after  bowl  of  the 
strong  beverage,  while,  oblivious  to  all  around 
him,  he  sat  absorbed  in  his  bitter  reflections. 
Could  he  be  the  same  man  who  so  short  a  time 
before  had  come  to  London  full  of  enthusiastic 
loyalty  to  his  king  and  his  heart  beating  high 
with  the  anticipated  joy  of  beholding  once 
again  the  face  that  was  all  the  world  to  him? 
Now  the  thought  of  his  king  stirred  his  blood 
to  madness,  and  the  idol  of  his  soul  lay  pros- 
trate, dishonored  in  the  dust.  She  was  false, 
worse  than  false,  a  creature  to  take  her  place 
among  the  other  shameless  beauties  of  the 


DETHRONE    HIM  I  139 

king's  seraglio.  She  had  struck  him  in  the 
face  before  them  all,  broken  his  sword,  broken 
his  heart,  but  he  would  have  revenge  upon  her, 
aye,  and  upon  that  satyr  king,  whose  look  cor- 
rupted a  woman,  whose  touch  turned  her  to 
stone. 

" Curse  him!"  he  muttered  aloud,  striking 
his  hand  upon  the  table  so  fiercely  that  the 
wine  before  him  overflowed  its  receptacle  and 
discolored  the  white  boards  with  a  stain  red  as 
blood.  "  Curse  him  !  " 

"  Curse  not  at  all ! "  sounded  in  low,  deep 
accents.  "  Curse  not  at  all !  To  curse  is  a 
sin." 

Richmond  started,  and  as  he  raised  his  eyes 
for  the  first  time,  they  met  the  penetrating  gaze 
of  Major  Wilding,  who,  unperceived  by  the 
moody  duke,  had  entered  and  seated  himself 
on  the  other  side  of  the  table. 

"  Major  Wilding !     You  here ! " 

"  I  crave  your  pardon,  your  grace,"  said 
Wilding,  gravely,  "  for  intruding  upon  your 
privacy,  but  I  have  that  to  say  which  may  not 
be  unpleasant  to  your  ears." 

"You  must  be  a  conjurer  then,"  retorted 
Richmond,  bitterly. 

Wilding  flashed  a  quick  glance  at  him  and 
then  continued,  quietly : 

"  I  will  not  affect,  your  grace,  to  be  ignorant 


140  NELL   GWYSTNE., 

of  the  unmerited  misfortune  which  has  over- 
taken you." 

"So,  is  it  already  common  gossip?" 

"Not  yet,  but  public  business  called  me  to 
Whitehall  this  afternoon,  and  there  I  heard 
that  your  command  had  been  taken  from  you 
and  given  to  my  lord  Buckhurst." 

He  did  not  add  that,  immediately  on  being 
informed  of  this  by  Master  Pepys'  busy  tongue, 
he  had  hastened  away  to  waylay  the  duke  for 
purposes  of  his  own. 

Ordinarily,  Richmond  would  have  disdained 
to  discuss  his  private  affairs,  but  the  bitterness 
of  his  humiliation  and  the  strength  of  the  fiery 
potations  he  had  indulged  in,  and  to  which  he 
was  unused,  had  unnerved  him  and  rendered 
him  reckless. 

"  Is  it  known  at  whose  instance  this — this 
exchange  was  effected  ?"  he  asked. 

"At  whose  could  it  be  but  at  hers  whose 
word  is  his  majesty's  law." 

A  fierce  malediction  burst  from  Richmond's 
lips. 

"  Alas,"  proceeded  Wilding,  "our  poor  coun- 
try is  in  a  sad  state.  You  have  seen  what  the 
court  is." 

"Yes,"  broke  in  Richmond,  furiously,  "I 
have  seen  what  it  is !  God  help  me !  I  have 


DETHRONE    HIM  !  141 

seen  it !  Bankrupt  alike  in  credit  and  decency ! 
All  corrupt !  All  impure  !  " 

Wilding  gave  a  quick  glance  about  the  room. 
To  all  intents  and  purposes  they  were  alone. 
The  gay  party  at  the  other  end  were  too  intent 
upon  their  own  enjoyment  to  note  anything  else. 

"  True  !  Only  too  true  !  "  said  Wilding,  fixing 
his  eyes  again  upon  Richmond's  flushed,  scowl- 
ing face.  "And  can  this  infamy  last?  Ought 
it  to  last !  " 

"We  are  powerless." 

"  No,  not  powerless.  Your  grace,  the  people 
are  never  powerless.  And  it  is  not  alone  the 
corruption  of  the  court  we  have  to  complain 
of,"  he  continued  hurriedly,  "  the  very  ex- 
istence of  the  nation  is  in  danger.  The  Dutch 
at  Chatham,  and  yet  a  woman's  smile  takes  the 
command  of  a  ship  from  a  man  who  has  been 
a  sailor  from  boyhood  and  gives  it  to  a  novice ! 
Duke  of  Richmond,  there  was  a  time  when  the 
flag  of  England  was  not  insulted,  when  all 
foreign  powers  trembled  at  the  name  of  Eng- 
land, when  the  virtue  of  English  matrons  was 
a  higher  power  than  the  looseness  of  French 
wantons." 

"  Would  that  those  times  were  come  again ! " 

"But,"  said  Wilding,  "in  those  days  Eng- 
land was  not  a  monarchy,  but  a  republic." 


142  NELL  GWY]STNE. 

"Still,  I   say,  would  that  those  times   were 
come  again  ! "  reiterated  Richmond,  recklessly. 

This  was  what  his  companion  had  been  look- 
ing for,  the  opportunity  to  draw  the  outraged 
duke  into  his  net.  Wilding,  although  a  fanatic, 
was  an  honest  one,  which  adjective  could  not 
be  applied  to  some  of  his  fellow  conspirators  in 
the  plot  in  which  he  was  engaged.  His  puri- 
tanical soul  revolted  at  the  light  behavior  of* 
king,  and  courtiers.  Anything  that  savored  of 
Popery  was  to  him  the  very  incarnation  of 
Satan,  and  not  only  was  the  Duke  of  York  an 
avowed  Papist,  but  the  king  himself  was  strong- 
ly suspected  of  a  leaning  toward  Rome.  To  Wild- 
ing's mind  the  only  way  to  rescue  the  land 
from  destruction  was  to  expel  the  king  (and,  if 
necessary,  he  would  not  have  shrunk  from  even 
stronger  measures  than  expulsion)  and  to  re- 
store the  commonwealth.  As  has  already  been 
intimated,  a  plot  was  on  foot  to  effect  these 
very  things  and  Wilding  was  heart  and  soul  in 
the  movement.  His  every  effort  was  exerted 
to  obtain  recruits  to  the  cause,  and  it  was  with 
this  end  in  view  that  he  had  followed  the  duke, 
whose  name  would  be  a  tower  of  strength  in 
the  contemplated  uprising. 

With  eyes  glittering  with  excitement,  Wild- 
ing leaned  across  the  table  closer  to  Richmond. 

"My   lord  of   Richmond,"    he    said    in    low 


DETHRONE    HIM  !  143 

tense  tones,  "a  few  minutes  ago  I  heard  you 
invoke  curses  on  the  man  who  has  sought  to 
work  your  destruction.  Again  I  say  to  you, 
curse  him  not." 

He  paused  and  then,  with  the  utmost  intensi- 
ty, hissed,  rather  than  spoke,  two  words  preg- 
nant with  meaning : 

"Dethrone  him!" 

Richmond  started  violently. 

"What  mean  you,  Major  Wilding?  This  is 
treason." 

"  Treason  !  Nay,  it  is  loyalty  1  loyalty  to  our 
country,  to  our  homes,  to  the  honor  of  our  sons, 
to  the  virtue  of  our  daughters  !  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond, I  know  you  to  be  an  honorable  gentle- 
man, and  to  your  ears  I  am  about  to  intrust 
a  secret  of  no  small  moment  to  all  true  pa- 
triots." 

And  before  Richmond  could  protest,  he  pro- 
ceeded with  much  ardor  and  eloquence  to  in- 
form him  of  the  plans  of  himself  and  his  com- 
panions. If,  a  week  previous,  any  one  had 
dared  to  hint  to  Richmond  that  he  would  have 
listened  to  words  of  disloyalty,  to  threats 
against  his  sovereign,  he  would  have  stretched 
the  bold  speaker  senseless  at  his  feet.  But, 
smarting  as  he  was  now  under  his  unmerited 
disgrace,  tortured  by  the  thought  of  his  lady 
love's  shameful  infidelity,  he  not  only  listened, 


144  NELL   GWYNNE. 

but  his  heart  bounded  with  fierce  joy  at  the  pos- 
sible downfall  of  his  royal  rival. 

"The  feebler  spirits  are  still  led  by  titles," 
concluded  Wilding,  almost  certain  from  Rich- 
mond's excited  attention  that  he  was  theirs ; 
"each  known  name  brings  us  a  thousand 
meaner  ones.  My  lord  of  Richmond,  our  holy 
cause  asks  your  support." 

"I  will  think  of  it,"  replied  Richmond,  un- 
steadily, draining  the  cup  before  him  to  the 
dregs. 

"Nay,  my  lord,"  urged  Wilding,  his  deep- 
set  eyes  flashing  with  excitement,  "why  delay  ? 
See ! "  throwing  back  his  coat  and  drawing 
from  an  inside  pocket  a  bundle  of  papers.  "  See ! 
here  are  documents  in  duplicate  signed  by  the 
heads  of  our  plot.  The  disaffection  must  break 
out  first  in  the  fleet ;  the  fire  is  already  smolder- 
ing; it  needs  but  a  spark  to  burst  into  flame. 
One  of  these  copies  I  am  to  take  to  the  fleet, 
the  other  I  leave  with  the  Duke  of  Bucking- 
ham ;  thus  we  mutually  bind  ourselves." 

"Buckingham!"  exclaimed  Richmond,  in 
blank  amazement,  that  the  king's  closest  com- 
panion should  have  aught  to  do  with  such  a 
scheme. 

Wilding's  pale  face  flushed.  The  mention  of 
the  duke's  name  had  been  a  slip,  but  it  was  too 


DETHKONE    HIM  !  145 

late  to  rectify  it,  and  now,  more  than  ever, 
must  he  have  Richmond's  name. 

"My  lord,  there  is  a  blank,"  he  said  eagerly, 
"  a  blank  left  next  to  Buckingham.  I  would 
fain  see  that  blank  filled  by  a  noble  name. 
What,  do  you  hesitate?" 

Richmond  drew  a  long  breath.  This  astonish- 
ing disclosure  had  partially  sobered  him. 

"Yes,  Major  Wilding,"  he  replied,  gravely 
and  sadly,  "  I  do  hesitate.  To  you  it  is  a  small 
matter  to  subscribe  to  the  upsetting  of  the  king; 
your  place  is  among  the  people,  but  I  was  born 
by  the  side  of  the  throne.  We  of  the  nobility 
lend  our  lustre  to  the  crown  and  draw  our  lustre 
from  it.  Besides,  I  am  half  drunk  now.  Wait 
until  I  am  sober.  Perhaps  I  shall  be  unhappy 
enough  then  to  sign  anything — that  is,  if  I 
live." 

"What  means  your  grace?"  asked  Wilding, 
touched  in  spite  of  himself  at  the  utter  despair 
of  the  last  words. 

"  Major  Wilding,  I  would  die  defending  my 
country  from  the  invader  rather  than — "  he 
paused,  abruptly.  No,  her  name  should  not  be 
mentioned.  "  I  am  going  to  my  lord  Buck- 
hurst  at  once,  this  moment,  to  crave  his  per- 
mission to  serve  under  him  in  the  '  Rupert '." 

"What!"    cried   Wilding,    in   astonishment. 

"Lord  Buckhurst  takes  your   command  from 
10 


146  NELL   GWYNNE. 

you  and  you  would  beg  him  to  let  you  serve  on 
board  the  «  Rupert '  as  a  volunteer  !  " 

"  Your  pardon,  Major  Wilding,  but  pray  say 
no  more.  My  resolution  is  taken,"  replied 
Richmond,  haughtily. 

Wilding  possessed  both  sense  and  tact,  and 
he  saw  that  it  would  be  useless  to  combat  the 
duke's  determination,  or  for  the  present,  to  urge 
him  further  to  sign  the  paper.  It  would  be  dan- 
gerous, however,  now  to  be  without  his  signa- 
ture, and  he  determined  to  leave  no  stone  un- 
turned to  obtain  it. 

"  I  have  placed  myself  in  your  grace's  power, 
and " 

"You  need  have  no  fear,  Major  Wilding.  I 
shall  not  betray  you." 

"  When  may  I  see  your  grace  again  ? " 

"  When  you  please,"  replied  Richmond,  indif- 
ferently, rising  and  preparing  to  leave  the  cof» 
fee-house. 

He  was  fortunate  enough  to  find  Buckhurst 
at  home  and  with  him  the  worthy  secretary  of 
the  Admiralty,  for  Master  Pepys  with  his  usual 
eagerness  to  be  the  first  to  relate  any  news,  had 
at  once  hurried  away  to  inform  the  new  com- 
mander of  the  "  Rupert "  of  his  good  fortune. 

Buckhurst  was  greatly  astonished  at  Rich- 
mond's appearance,  and  still  more  so  when  he 
heard  the  request  that  nobleman  had  to  proffer. 


DETHRONE    HIM  !  147 

He  did  all  that  he  could  to  dissuade  him  from 
his  design,  but  without  effect,  and  he  finally 
consented  to  accede  to  his  grace's  request,  that 
is,  if  there  was  no  objection  in  higher  quarters. 

When  this  was  arranged,  Buckhurst  said, 
gaily  : 

<4And  now,  after  business,  pleasure!  Shall 
we  go  to  the  theatre  ?  We  shall  be  in  time  for 
the  last  act  or  two.  Mistress  Gwynne  acts  Celia 
in  The  Humorous  Lieutenant,  in  which  part  she 
is  excellent." 

"  It  could  not  be  better  done  in  nature,"  cor- 
roborated Pepys,  solemnly. 

Richmond  was  about  to  refuse,  but  he  sud- 
denly remembered  that  Lady  Frances  was  to  be 
there,  and  with  that  insane  desire  for  self-tor- 
ture, which  seems  to  belong  exclusively  to  un- 
happy lovers,  he  determined  to  go. 

Lady  Frances  was  not  there,  however.  Either 
she  had  not  come  at  all,  or  she  had  retired  early. 
Richmond  fixed  his  eyes  upon  the  stage,  but  he 
neither  saw  the  actors  nor  heard  a  word  of  the 
play.  When  Buckhurst  proposed  to  pay  a  visit 
to  Nell  Gwynne  in  her  dressing-room,  he  lan- 
guidly consented.  It  mattered  but  little  to  him 
what  he  did.  But  he  was  cold  and  absent,  and 
even  Nell's  liveliest  sallies  could  not  draw  from 
him  a  smile. 


148  NELL 

"What  is  he?  A  bear?"  she  whispered  to 
Buckhurst. 

"My  dear,"  was  the  half  jesting,  half  serious 
answer,  "he  is  a  man  who  is  dying  of  love." 

At  once  Nell  grew  interested. 

"  I  am  delighted  to  see  him  then,  for  that  is  a 
malady  I  have  never  met  with  outside  of  a  play- 
book."  ' 

It  was  long  after  midnight  when  Richmond 
separated  from  Buckhurst.  For  the  first  time 
in  his  life  he  drank  long  and  deep,  and  he  re- 
tired to  bed  to  sleep  the  blessed  sleep  of  forget- 
fulness,  oblivious  alike  of  the  joys  and  sorrows 
of  this  world. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BROKEN   TIES. 

RICHMOND  awoke  the  next  morning  with 
a  throbbing  head,  and  that  dull  ache  at 
his  heart,  that  vague  sense  of  calamity  we  all 
have  felt  the  day  after  some  terrible  misfor- 
tune, before  we  are  thoroughly  aroused  and 
our  senses  are  in  their  normal  condition. 

As  the  events  of  the  day  before  came  back  to 
him  in  all  their  dread  reality,  he  leaped  from  his 
couch  and  proceeded  hastily  to  dress.  In  the 
full  possession  of  his  faculties,  it  seemed  to  him 
all  a  horrible  dream.  It  could  not  be  true  that 
Lady  Frances  Stuart  was  what  she  had  ap- 
peared to  be.  He  had  known  her  from  child- 
hood, and  he  had  never  known  her  anything 
but  honest,  piire  and  loyal.  It  was  not  her 
fault,  she  was  under  some  spell,  or — but  it  was 
useless  to  speculate.  He  would  see  her,  see  her 
once  more  and  solve  the  question  beyond  the 
shadow  of  a  doubt.  But  how  could  he  manage 
an  interview?  It  would  be  scarcely  dignified 
to  go  to  Whitehall  after  the  slight  put  upon. 

148 


150  NELL   GWYNNE. 

him  by  the  king,  and,  moreover,  it  was  un- 
likely that  she  would  consent  to  see  him.  He 
must  try  to  meet  her  as  if  by  chance.  But 
how  ?  And  then  he  remembered  that  when  he 
was  in  London  before,  it  had  been  her  majesty's 
custom  to  walk  every  fine  morning  in  Saint 
James'  Park,  attended  by  her  ladies.  He  would 
go  there  and  perhaps  fate  would  be  kind  to 
him. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  the  park,  with  its 
smooth  turf  and  its  beautiful  elms  and  lindens, 
looked  fresh  and  fair  in  the  rays  of  the  early 
sun ;  and  Richmond  felt  his  heart  grow  lighter 
as  he  strolled  beneath  the  shade  of  the  trees 
that  bordered  the  canal. 

Suddenly  a  burst  of  merry  laughter  rang  out 
upon  his  ears,  and,  glancing  through  the 
branches,  he  saw  on  the  other  side  of  the 
stream  a  group  of  ladies  attended  by  one  or  two 
gentlemen.  One  of  the  latter  he  recognized  as 
Sir  Thomas  Ogle,  who  was  gentleman  in  wait- 
ing to  the  queen.  Here,  then,  must  be  the 
object  of  his  search.  As  he  gazed  with  eager 
eyes  one  of  the  ladies  detached  herself  from 
the  group  and  strolled  slowly  along  the  bank. 
She  was  masked,  as  was  the  custom  of  all 
ladies  of  quality,  when  appearing  in  public,  but 
there  was  no  mistaking  that  exquisite  figure, 
that  graceful  carriage.  It  was  she.  He 


BROKEN    TIES.  151 

watched  her  slowly  walk  along,  until  she 
reached  a  rustic  bridge  that  spanned  the 
stream.  Then  she  paused,  removed  her  mask, 
and  stood  leaning  upon  the  rail  and  gazing 
dreamily  down  into  the  sluggish  waters. 
What  would  he  not  have  given  to  know  her 
thoughts.  Suddenly  a  gentleman  joined  her, 
they  remained  a  few  moments  in  conversation, 
and  then,  crossing  the  bridge,  they  came  direct, 
ly  toward  the  spot  where  Richmond  was  stand- 
ing. 

Not  caring  to  meet  her  in  the  presence  of  a 
third  party,  the  duke  hastened  to  conceal  him- 
self behind  the  trunk  of  a  large  elm. 

If  Richmond  had  slept  heavily  the  previous 
night,  such  had  not  been  the  case  with  Lady 
Frances.  In  vain  had  she  wooed  the  drowsy 
god,  he  had  been  deaf  to  all  her  entreaties.  Be- 
fore her  eyes  was  ever  the  face  of  the  man  she 
loved,  pale  and  anguish-stricken  as  she  bad  seen 
it  last.  Now  she  longed  to  fly  to  him  and  ex- 
plain all,  and  now  her  pride  revolted  at  the 
thought  of  the  contemptuous  manner  in  which 
he  had  refused  her  request  to  meet  her  in  the 
queen's  gallery.  It  was  cruel  of  him  to  judge 
her  thus  without  giving  her  an  opportunity  to 
clear  herself.  Had  he  no  faith  in  her?  Was 
his  love  so  shallow  that  he  could  not  trust  her? 
He  was  unworthy  of  her ;  she  would  think  no 


152  NELL   GWYJSTSTE. 

more  of  him.  And  yet — and  yet — she  loved 
him  more  than  ever.  Away  with  all  disguise ! 
He  had  won  her  maiden  heart,  wholly  and  unre- 
servedly, she  had  given  herself  to  him  and 
his  she  was  and  his  alone  forever. 

When  morning  dawned  at  last,  she  rose, 
wearied  alike  in  mind  and  body,  and  prepared 
to  accompany  the  queen  to  the  park.  Once 
there,  however,  the  vapid  compliments  of  Sir 
Thomas  Ogle  and  the  frivolous  chatter  of  Jen- 
nings, Wells  and  the-  other  maids  of  honor 
jarred  upon  and  disgusted  her.  So,  making  her 
excuses  to  the  queen,  she  walked  away  by  her- 
self, with  her  own  sad  thoughts  as  her  sole 
company.  As  she  stood  upon  the  bridge,  little 
conscious  that  the  man  of  whom  her  heart  and 
mind  were  full,  was,  at  that  very  moment, 
devouring  her  with  his  eyes,  she  was  startled 
from  her  revery  by  the  unwelcome  sound  of  a 
voice  pronouncing  her  name. 

Turning,  she  saw  Lord  Buckhurst,  who  had 
approached  from  the  other  side  of  the  bridge. 
Annoyed  at  having  her  privacy  thus  intruded 
upon,  she  returned  his  greeting  coldly  enough, 
but  Buckhurst,  who  was  in  the  highest  of  spir- 
its, did  not  appear  to  notice  her  chilliness. 

"Is  it  indeed  you,  Lady  Frances?"  he  cried, 
gaily.  "I  thought  at  first  that  I  had  wandered 
into  the  realms  of  mythology,  and  that  the  god- 


BROKEN    TIES.  153 

dess  of  the  dawn  herself  was  before  my  enrap- 
tured vision." 

Lady  Frances  frowned  slightly,  but  made 
no  reply.  She  detested  the  high-flown  compli- 
ments so  much  in  vogue. 

"Sweet  Lady  Frances,"  proceeded  Buck- 
hurst,  more  soberly,  "  I  am  your  debtor  be- 
yond all  words  to  express  for  the  favor  you 
have  conferred  upon  me,  for  I  hear  that  it  is 
to  your  influence  that  I  owe  my  appointment 
to  the  Rupert.  I  am  indeed  fortunate  to  have 
for  a  patroness  one  who  is  all  potent  with  his 
majesty." 

Lady  Frances  grew  hot  with  mortification. 
She  felt  instinctively  what  inference  Buckhurst 
was  drawing  from  the  success  of  his  suit  at 
her  hands,  and  yet  she  was  powerless  to  pre- 
vent it.  There  was  nothing  in  his  words  which 
she  could  resent.  It  was  inexpressibly  galling 
to  her  proud  nature  to  be  classed  in  men's 
minds  with  the  Portsmouths  and  the  Cleve- 
lands,  but,  to  save  her  lover,  she  had  drawn  it 
upon  herself  and  she  had  no  right  to  complain. 

"  I  trust,  my  lord,  that  you  may  prove  your- 
self worthy  of  the  command  entrusted  to  you." 

"  Worthy !  Ah !  that  depends  on  the  point  of 
view.  As  captain  of  a  ship,  I  shall  have  ample 
leisure  and  shall  write  such  sea-songs." 

Songs,  and  the  nation  in  danger  1     Was  this 


154  NELL   O WYNNE. 

the  man  for  whom  she  had  craved  command  of 
a  ship !  She  said  nothing,  but  her  eyes  spoke 
such  boundless  contempt  that  Buckhurst  quail- 
ed beneath  her  gaze.  To  do  him  justice,  the 
careless  way  of  speaking  which  had  become 
habitual  to  him  was  at  fault  and  not  his  real 
feelings.  He  had  long  desired  a  ship  and  he 
was  determined  to  do  his  duty  to  the  best  of 
his  ability.  He  saw  his  mistake  and  hastened 
to  say : 

"  Forgive  me,  Lady  Frances.  I  meant  it  not. 
My  wild  tongue  runs  away  with  me.  I  will  try 
to  deserve  your  confidence,  believe  me.  By  the 
way,  who  do  you  think  came  to  me,  yesterday, 
to  beg  me  to  allow  him  to  serve  as  a  volunteer 
in  the  Rupert?" 

"  Indeed,  I  cannot  imagine,"  replied  Lady 
Frances,  carelessly. 

"Why,  who  but  her  former  commander,  his 
grace  of  Richmond." 

Instantly  the  lady  was  all  attention. 

"Richmond!"  she  exclaimed,  "Richmond!" 

"Yes,  what  think  you  of  that !  It  was  a  sad 
lowering  of  his  pride,  was  it  not?" 

Lady  Frances  was  silent.  Richmond  a  vol. 
unteer  on  the  Rupert!  Were  then  all  her 
efforts,  the  efforts  which  had  already  cost  her 
so  dear  and  were  likely  to  cost  her  much  dearer 
in  the  future,  to  be  of  no  avail  ?  Suddenly  she 


BROKEN    TIES.  155 

became  aware  that  her  companion  was  regard- 
ing  her  with  a  peculiar  expression,  and  she 
flushed  as  if  she  had  betrayed  her  inmost 
thought. 

"My  lord,"  she  said,  a  little  nervously, 
"will  you  walk  with  me  a  short  distance? 
I — I  need  the  exercise." 

She  must  have  time  to  decide  what  to  do  in 
this  new  complication,  and  she  could  not  stand 
there  with  Buckhurst  apparently  reading  her 
countenance.  Buckhurst,  although  somewhat 
surprised,  gladly  assented  to  the  request,  and 
they  walked  in  silence  down  the  broad  avenue 
between  the  elms. 

Lady  Frances  at  last  made  up  her  mind  as  to 
what  course  to  pursue,  and,  as  chance  would 
have  it,  she  halted  under  the  very  tree  behind 
which  Richmond  was  concealed. 

"My  Lord  Buckhurst,"  she  began  composed. 
ly,  idly  toying  with  the  mask  she  held  in  her 
hand,  "what  was  it  you  said?  The  duke  of 
Richmond  desires  to  serve  as  a  volunteer  on 
board  the  Rupert?" 

"  Yes,  your  ladyship.    An  odd  idea,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"More  than  that;  it  is  folly.  My  lord,  you 
said  a  few  moments  ago  that  you  owed  me  some- 
thing in  return  for  the  command  which  the  king 
gave  you,  at  my  entreaty." 

At  her  entreaty !     The  words  fell  like  a  knell 


156  NELL   G WYNNE. 

upon  Richmond's  listening  ears.  He  had  hoped 
that  there  might  have  been  some  mistake,  some 
reason  for  her  conduct  of  yesterday.  But  there 
could  be  no  doubt,  now,  after  that  shameless 
confession.  His  first  impulse  was  to  rush  out 
and  confront  her,  but,  on  second  thoughts,  he 
concluded  to  wait  and  hear  further. 

"  I  am  deeply  your  ladyship's  debtor  indeed," 
Buckhurst  was  saying. 

"  Then,  like  a  hard  creditor,  I  shall  demand 
payment  at  once,  or  rather  make  myself  your 
debtor  in  return." 

"  I  am  your  ladyship's  to  command." 

"  This  request  of  the  Duke  of  Richmond  is 
not  for  his  credit,  it  is  madness,  and  I  therefore 
ask  you  not  to  permit  him  to  serve  under  you." 

Buckhurst  hesitated  a  moment  before  reply, 
ing. 

"  I  would  most  gladly  obey  you,  Lady  Fran- 
ces," he  said,  at  last,  "but,  not  to  deceive  you, 
when  the  duke  came  to  me,  I  practically  acced- 
ed to  his  request.  If  I  deny  him  now,  I  shall 
seem  to  break  my  word." 

Lady  Frances'  lip  curled,  and  then  she  re- 
plied curtly,  with  a  cold  threat  in  her  tone  and 
manner : 

"  My  lord,  your  commission  is  not  yet  made 
out.  It  needs  but  a  word  from  me,  and " 


BROKEN    TIES.  157 

.Buckhurst  understood,  and  he  hurriedly  in- 
terrupted : 

"Nay,  my  fair  patroness,  since  you  are  so 
peremptory,  there's  nothing  more  to  be  said. 
The  Duke  of  Richmond  shall  not  set  foot  upon 
the  Rupert  while  I  command  her." 

This  was  too  much  for  Richmond's  self-con- 
trol. He  emerged  from  his  place  of  conceal- 
ment, and,  dark  and  glowering,  stood  before 
them. 

With  a  little  cry,  Lady  Frances  turned  a 
startled  look  upon  the  intruder.  When  she 
recognized  him  the  color  forsook  her  cheek  and 
she  staggered  a  little  as  if  about  to  fall.  Buck- 
hurst  made  a  step  toward  her,  but,  recovering 
herself,  she  proudly  waved  him  back. 

"Your  ladyship  may  well  be  alarmed,"  said 
Richmond,  folding  his  arms,  and  speaking  with 
the  most  cutting  irony,  "at  the  appearance  of 
the  victim  of  your  treachery,  but  thank  Heaven, 
I  am  your  dupe  no  longer.  Oh !  woman, 
woman,  why  do  you  continue  to  persecute  me  ? 
Was  it  so  great  a  crime  to  love  you  ?  Is  every 
path  of  honor  to  be  closed  to  me  because  you 
have  forfeited  men's  respect?" 

Lady  Frances  started  as  if  stung  by  an 
adder. 

"Are  you  mad?"  she  cried  hoarsely. 
'/What,"  struggling  hard  to  regain  a  sem- 


158  NELL  G WYNNE. 

blance  of  composure,  "what  is  our — our  mis- 
understanding to  this  gentleman  ?  " 

"  What  is  it  to  you  whether  I  go  on  board 
the  Rupert  or  not?"  demanded  Richmond 
roughly. 

"  Nothing,"  was  the  icy  answer,  "  from  this 
moment,  nothing.  My  lord,"  addressing  Buck- 
hurst,  "I  withdraw  my  request." 

Buckhurst  bowed  and  gladly  took  advantage 
of  the  opportunity  to  retire  from  a  position  in 
which  he  was  entirely  out  of  place. 

The  uninterrupted  interview,  which  both  had 
desired  so  strongly,  was  now  theirs,  but  neither 
man  nor  woman  was  in  a  temper  to  bring  about 
the  explanation  which  would  have  averted  so 
much  pain  and  .disaster  in  the  future.  After 
the  conversation  between  Buckhurst  and  Lady 
Frances  which  he  had  overheard,  Richmond 
leaped  at  once  to  the  conclusion  that  she  was 
all  that  his  worse  suspicions  had  given  her 
credit  for;  while  Lady  Frances,  on  her  side, 
was  too  outraged  by  the  duke's  insulting  words 
and  manner  to  care  for  the  moment  what  error 
he  might  fall  into. 

"  What  can  your  object  be  in  thus  thwarting 
me  on  every  side  ?  "  demanded  Richmond,  with 
rising  passion.  "You  have  ruined  me  both 
body  and  soul.  I  was  a  man  of  honor.  I  loved 
truth,  I  loved  my  country,  I  loved  you.  But 


BROKEN    TIES.  159 

in  one  day  you  robbed  me  of  my  faith  in 
woman,  and  my  hopes  of  glory.  Cannot  you, 
who  have  reached  the  highest  pinnacle  of  your 
ambition,  leave  me  at  least  the  chance  of 
death?" 

Lady  Frances  grew  harder  with  every  mo. 
ment  and  every  word  he  uttered.  How  dare 
he  not  only  think,  but  speak,  so  foully  of  her? 
Fixing  upon  him  a  cold,  steady  gaze,  she  re- 
plied, contemptuously: 

"  What,  is  glory  to  be  gained  only  on  board 
the  Rupert  ?  Honor  has  a  thousand  paths. 
Take  any  one  of  them,  my  lord !  Be  yourself 
again,  a  nobleman  and,  above  all,  a  man." 

.  "  And  you  say  this ;  you  who  have  unmanned 
me." 

"A  doubting  heart  has  unmanned  you,  Duke 
of  Richmond.  Your  mind  has  been  poisoned  by 
unworthy  suspicions,  and " 

"Unworthy  suspicions!"  interrupted  Rich- 
mond passionately,  the  angry  pain  and  despair 
at  his  heart  dominating  him  more  and  more  as 
he  proceeded.  "  Unworthy  suspicions,  for- 
sooth !  Have  I  not  eyes  to  see,  ears  to  hear  I  Is 
it  not  known  throughout  all  the  court  who  is 
the  real  monarch,  who  pulls  the  strings  that 
Charles  Stuart  may  dance?" 

"  Stop,  my  lord !  Be  yourself,  for  your  own 
sake,  if  not  for  mine." 


160  NELL   GWYNNE. 

But  Richmond  was  too  beside  himself  to 
pause  now. 

*"  We  obey  our  friends  and  not  our  enemies, 
still  less  a  treacherous  enemy  like  you,  your 
ladyship — or  perhaps  I  should  say  your  grace, 
for  in  the  ranks  of  duchesses  is,  by  the  king's 
command,  mop^than  one  woman  of  your  ilk." 

If  the  lightninj^Sl(^|H^^gdj3yes  could  deal 
death,  Richmond  would  have  rScrw^^fei^.j.t^ 
neath  the  blaze  that  Lady  Frances  flashed  upon 
him  at  this  insult.  All  her  pride  was  up  in 
arms,  the  royal  blood  in  her  veins  seemed 
turned  to  fire. 

"How  dare  you!"  The  voice  was  low,  but 
fraught  with  passion,  and  each  word  was  as 
cutting  as  the  thrust  of  a  rapier.  "  How  dare 
you  address  such  words  to  me !  But,  hence- 
forth your  words  and  actions  are  alike  indiffer- 
ent to  me.  I  mingle  no  further  in  your  affairs. 
Either  I  am  what  cowards  and  liars  say  I  am, 
the  king's  minion,  or  I  am  Frances  Stuart 
sans  peur  et  sans  reproche.  In  either  case  I  am 
no  more  to  you  that  which  I  was.  I  am  noth. 
ing  to  you  and  you  are  nothing  to  me !  Un- 
mannerly, ungrateful,  dishonored  duke,  fare- 
well forever ! " 

How  magnificently  beautiful  she  looked,  how 
superb  she  was  in  her  indignation  !  And  Rich- 
mond's head  bowed  before  her  in  involuntary 


BROKEN    TIES.  161 

shame.  But  even  had  he  desired  to  proffer 
an  apology  it  was  too  late  now.  With  head 
erect,  a  bitter,  scornful  smile  upon  the  perfect 
lips,  and  with  the  stately  motion  of  an  offended 
Juno,  she  passed  out  of  his  presence,  and  to 
the  desperate  man  it  seemed  as  if  a  never-to-be- 
lifted  pall  settled  down  over  his^fca**^ 

That  night,  when^Ji|«|81lHVndmg  returned  to 
his  home^Jtai^mr  so  with  the  utmost  joy  and 
wrtBlrtSffon,  for  upon  the  documents  carefully 
hidden  away  in  his  breast  was  inscribed,  just 
beneath  that  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  the 
name  of  Charles,  Duke  of  Richmond,  signed,  as 
that  reckless,  hopeless  nobleman  frantically 
declared,  "with  his  blood  and  that  of  all  his 
house ! " 


11 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

AN   ASMODEAN   GLIMPSE. 

SIX  weeks  have  passed  away,  weeks  which 
have  brought  more  or  less  important 
changes  to  many  of  the  characters  of  our  s*feory, 
but  none  perhaps  more  striking  than  to  the 
leading  light  of  his  majesty's  company  of 
players. 

Nell  Gwynne  no  longer  lives  in  modest  lodg- 
ings in  Petticoat  Lane,  but  occupies  a  hand- 
some mansion  in  one  of  the  finest  districts  of 
the  city ;  no  longer  does  she  drive  to  and  from 
the  theatre  in  a  hired  vehicle,  but  in  her  own 
luxurious  coach  drawn  by  gray  Flemish  mares, 
then  the  height  of  fashion.  In  vain  will  Dave- 
nant  of  the  Duke's  endeavor  to  draw  her  away 
from  Drury  Lane,  for  she  is  under  the  king's 
protection  and  nothing  can  sway  her  from  her 
allegiance. 

Let  us  not  be  too  severe  upon  poor  Nelly,  nor, 
in  our  superior  virtue,  be  too  ready  to  cast 
stones  upon  her.  The  actions  of  one  age  should 
not  be  judged  according  to  the  ideas  of  another, 

162 


AN   ASMODEAN   GLIMPSE.  16$ 

and  to  arrive  at  a  just  estimate  of  the  good  or 
evil  of  another's  life,  there  should  be  taken  into 
account  the  surroundings  of  that  life  and  the 
circumstances  which  affected  it. 

Nell  Gwynne  lived  in  a  time  when  virtue  was 
almost  universally  sneered  at  and  to  be  the  fav- 
orite of  a  king  was  the  highest  ambition  of 
many  a  woman  of  birth  and  breeding. 

And  Nell  was  not  a  woman  of  either  birth  or 
breeding.  She  was  born  of  low  estate  and  of 
poor  parents,  and,  when  a  mere  chit  of  a  girl, 
was  engaged  as  female  tapster  in  a  fourth-class 
ern,  where, 

*~***9er flfStr  'employ  ment  was,  with  open  throat, 
To  cry  fresh  herrings,  even  ten  a  groat." 

From  here  she  took  the  only  dowry  that  For- 
tune had  bestowed  upon  her,  a  pretty  face,  a 
melodious  voice  and  a  quick  wit,  to  the  market 
for  which  they  were  best  fitted — the  theatre. 
The  first  footing  she  obtained  here  was  in  a 
most  humble  capacity,  that  of  orange  girl. 
While  in  this  position  she  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  Lacy,  one  of  the  most  popular  actors  of 
his  day  as  well  as  a  man  of  more  than  usual 
literary  attainments.  He  undertook  her  educa- 
tion and  tutored  her  in  acting,  the  lover's  part 
being  that  he  most  preferred.  Through  his  in- 
fluence she  rose  to  that  platform  for  which 
nature  had  intended  her,  the  stage.  She  was 


164  NELL   GWYNNE. 

not  much  more  than  fifteen  when  she  made  her 
first  appearance  and  almost  immediately  leaped 
into  unexampled  popularity.  The  stage  at  that 
time  was  a  hotbed  of  vice,  and  Nell  did  not  pass 
through  it  unscorched.  Is  it  a  wonder,  then, 
that,  brought  up  in  such  a  school,  she  failed  to 
turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  soft  pleadings  of  a  king, 
especially  when  that  king  was  the  first  and  only 
man  she  ever  really  loved  ? 

With  all  her  failings,  Nell  had  a  tender  as 
well  as  a  generous  heart.  When  raised  to 
wealth,  she  expended  her  riches  on  others 
rather  than  on  herself.  She  was  continually 
doing  good,  "as -if,"  a  writer  of  the  times  ob- 
serves, "  doing  good  was  her  business  instead 
of  her  nature."  The  king  trusted  her  absolute- 
ly, as  indeed  he  had  reason  to  do,  for,  from  the 
time  of  her  connection  with  him  to  the  day  of 
her  death,  she  was  absolutely  faithful  to  him, 
being  in  this  and  in  many  other  respects  a  strik- 
ing contrast  to  her  rivals  in  his  affections.  She 
was  never  rapacious,  accepting  smilingly  what 
he  chose  to  give  her  and  never  asking  for  more ; 
and  she  never  abused  the  influence  she  possess- 
ed, but  used  it  invariably  for  good  objects. 

She  understood  the  nature  of  the  king  thor- 
oughly, never  worrying  him  for  favors  nor  up- 
braiding him  for  his  infidelities,  and  it  is  little 
wonder  that  Charles  turned  with  relief  from  the 


AN   ASMODEAN   GLIMPSE.  165 

greediness  and  vapors  of  his  favorites  to  the 
unvarying  good  humor  and  sparkling  wit  of  the 
actress. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  she  was  hated  by 
such  women  as  her  grace  of  Cleveland,  erst 
Barbara  Palmer,  and  her  grace  of  Portsmouth, 
who  as  Louise  de  Querouaille  had  been  sent 
over  by  the  French  king  to  obtain  an  ascend- 
ancy over  Charles'  susceptible  nature,  an  office 
in  which  she  only  too  lamentably  succeeded. 

However  bitterly  they  felt  toward  merry 
Nelly,  these  noble  dames  nevertheless  rarely 
ventured  to  display  their  rancor  in  her  presence, 
for,  though  remarkably  sweet-tempered  by 
nature,  she  could  hold  her  own  in  a  duel  of 
tongues  and  was  an  astonishing  mistress  of 
invective  when  occasion  required. 

The  people  adored  her,  the  mob  never  at- 
tacked her  as  it  did  the  others  of  the  king's 
mistresses,  and  she  was  never  the  butt  of  the 
lampoons  and  invectives  so  freely  and  vicious- 
ly flung  at  Portsmouth,  Cleveland,  Mazarin 
and  the  others. 

The  following  anecdote  is  a  good  illustration 
of  the  feeling  of  the  populace  toward  her: 
Once,  when  Charles  had  ordered  an  extrava- 
gant service  of  plate  for  Louise  de  Querouaille, 
rudely  called  by  the  citizens  of  London  Madam 
Carwell,  a  great  crowd  collected  before  the 


166  NELL  GWYKNE. 

windows  of  the  jeweller  in  Cheapside  where  it 
was  displayed,  cursing  the  duchess  and  wish- 
ing that  the  plate  were  melted  and  poured 
down  her  throat;  "but,"  they  added,  "what  a 
pity  that  it  should  not  be  bestowed  on  Madam 
Ellen." 

And  Nell  was  happy ;  yes,  strange  as  it  may 
appear,  she  was  happy.  She  loved  her  art,  she 
rejoiced  in  the  hearty  good  will  shown  her  by 
the  public,  she  delighted  in  the  kindnesses  she 
was  enabled  to  show  to  the  needy  and  deserv- 
ing, aye,  and  to  the  undeserving,  too,  and,  more 
than  all,  was  she  happy  in  her  devotion  to  the 
king.  What  she  gave  him  was  not  all  virgin 
gold,  perhaps,  but  that  lack  was  almost  atoned 
for  by  the  unselfishness  and  single-heartedness 
of  her  attachment. 

Of  the  change  in  Nell's  condition,  her  jeal- 
ous swain,  Buckhurst,  knew  nothing,  -for  news 
in  that  day  of  sluggish  conveyances  traveled 
slowly,  and  he  had  long  since  departed  to  take 
command  of  his  ship.  Take  command  !  Well, 
it  could  only  be  called  that  by  courtesy,  for  like 
the  others  of  the  so-called  gentleman  captains  of 
which  there  were  far  too  many,  Buckhurst  was 
deplorably  deficient  in  seamanship,  and  he  was 
therefore  like  the  rest  of  his  ilk,  forced  to 
abandon  the  working  of  his  ship  to  his  un- 
derlings, which,  succeeding  as  he  did  a  man 


AN   ASMODEAN   GLIMPSE.  167 

like  Richmond,  who  had  followed  the  sea  from 
boyhood,  made  him  despised  by  his  crew  and 
was  fatal  to  all  discipline. 

For  a  time  the  Dutch  had  been  held  in  check 
and  even  forced  back  to  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
but  this  was  due  more  to  a  fortunate  chain  of 
circumstances  than  anything  else,  and  Van 
Tromp  speedily  recovered  his  ground,  so  that 
the  Dutch  fleet  had  now  penetrated  further  up 
the  Thames  than  ever,  to  the  great  alarm  of  the 
citizens.  London  was  in  a  most  excitable  con- 
dition, and  loud  and  numerous  were  the  grum- 
blings against  the  indolence  of  the  government 
and  especially  against  the  naval  administration, 
which,  beyond  doubt,  was  a  prodigy  of  waste- 
fulness, ignorance  and  corruption. 

The  time  now  seemed  ripe  for  the  outbreak  of 
the  plot  with  which  Buckingham  was  connect- 
ed and  of  which  Major  Wilding  was  the  master- 
spirit. The  temporary  success  of  the  English 
fleet  had  compelled  the  postponement  of  the 
contemplated  uprising,  for  it  had  been  deter- 
mined that  the  movement  should  begin  in  the 
fleet,  and  a  time  of  apparent  success  was  not  a 
time  to  preach  revolt.  But  now  that  the  Dutch 
had  recovered  from  their  setback,  it  was  a  fit- 
ting opportunity  to  begin  operations.  The 
Rupert  was  to  be  the  point  of  attack,  for  the 
seamen  of  that  vessel  were  already  enraged  at 


168  NELL   G  WYNNE. 

being  deprived  of  their  old  commander,  in  whom 
they  had  the  utmost  confidence  and  to  whom  they 
were  deeply  attached ;  and  there  was  little  doubt 
but  that  they  would  blindly  embrace  any  scheme 
to  which  the  Duke  of  Richmond  had  lent  his 
name.  The  fleet  once  in  revolt,  the  city,  in  its 
alarm,  would  rapidly  grow  even  more  disaffect- 
ed than  it  was,  and  would  be  only  too  eager  to 
follow  any  leader  that  would  promise  it  peace 
and  safety. 

And  this  leader  Buckingham  had  determined 
to  be.  He  had  become  connected  with  the  plot 
through  mere  accident  when  smarting  from 
some  real  or  fancied  slight  put  upon  him. 
Thus  do  trifles  in  the  most  decisive  manner 
sometimes  influence  the  course  of  events,  and 
lead  to  the  most  important  actions  of  our  lives. 
Once  fully  informed  as  to  the  purpose  of  the 
conspirators,  the  duke  affected  to  be  with  them 
heart  and  soul,  but  it  was  only  to  further  his 
own  schemes  and  not  theirs.  Why,  in  case  of 
an  upheaval,  should  he  not  become  the  head  of 
the  commonwealth  and  eventually  the  founder 
of  a  new  monarchy  ?  For  Buckingham  had  no 
sympathy  with  republican  principles;  he  fully 
believed  that,  though  aristocracies  might  crum- 
ble and  be  brushed  away,  aristocracy  itself  was 
eternal.  Brilliant,  profligate  and  unscrupulous, 
he  had  the  most  absolute  faith  in  his  own  star 


AN   ASMODEAN   GLIMPSE.  169 

and  his  ambition  was  boundless.  Entirely  de- 
void of  either  gratitude  or  natural  affection,  he 
gave  not  a  thought  to  the  long  and  intimate 
friendship  he  had  enjoyed  with  the  king,  or  to 
the  endless  favors  the  latter  had  heaped  upon 
him.  He  would  have  sacrificed  Charles  ruth- 
lessly, if  by  so  doing  he  could  have  obtained  his 
own  ends.  It  was  to  such  a  plot  that  Charles, 
Duke  of  Richmond,  a  truthful,  honorable  gen- 
tleman and  a  hitherto  loyal  subject  of  the 
crown,  had,  in  a  moment  of  madness,  become 
pledged.  It  is  doubtful  if,  in  the  days  that  fol- 
lowed, he  realized  much  what  he  had  done. 
True,  he  did  attend  one  meeting  of  the  conspira- 
tors, but  he  was  in  no  condition  to  understand 
what  was  discussed  or  agreed  upon.  To  drink 
and  thus  obtain  forgetfulness  was  his  one  object 
in  life  now.  A  weakness,  if  you  like,  but  a 
weakness  which  was,  so  to  speak,  the  direct  re- 
sult of  a  strong  nature.  In  glaring  contrast  to 
his  sovereign,  Richmond  was  not  a  man,  when 
one  woman  proved  faithless,  to  bask  contented, 
ly  in  the  sunshine  of  the  smiles  of  another.  He 
could  love  but  once,  as  he  had  loved,  with  the 
whole  strength  of  his  noble  heart.  There  had 
been  but  one  woman  in  the  world  to  him,  and  all 
other  women  were  as  naught.  Frances  Stuart 
had  been  the  anchor  of  his  existence,  and  now 
that  the  cable  which  had  bound  him  to  her  was 


170  NELL   G WYNNE. 

snapped,  his  life  ship  was  drifting  aimlessly 
amidst  the- reefs  and  shoals. 

In  all  our  passions  there  is  something  of  dis- 
ease, and  so  it  was  with  Richmond.  In  his  de- 
lirium he  could  not  see  clearly,  and  he  was 
firmly  convinced  of  his  lady's  faithlessness. 
He  had  no  longer  any  confidence  in  her,  and 
when  disbelief  becomes  a  faith,  which  sounds 
rather  paradoxical,  it  is  more  stubborn  and 
immovable  than  belief  itself.  Atheism  is  ever 
more  bigoted  than  religion. 

But  if  Richmond  were  miserable,  what  shall 
be  said  of  Lady  Frances  ?  She  could  not  seek 
oblivion  as  he  had  done,  and  she  had  naught 
but  her  pride  to  sustain  her,  and  pride  is  a 
pretty  poor  quantity  from  which  to  draw  one's 
daily  bread.  Possibly  never  in  her  life  had  she 
loved  Richmond  as  she  did  now,  even  after  he 
had  openly  insulted  and  reviled  her.  In  one 
way,  perhaps,  this  was  but  natural,  for  it  is  less 
from  the  pleasure  experienced  in  the  presence 
of  the  being  loved  than  from  the  painful  void 
caused  by  his  or  her  absence  that  a  real  pro- 
found love  can  be  recognized.  All  bitterness 
had  fled  from  Lady  Frances'  heart,  and  with  a 
generosity  of  which  only  a  loving  woman  is 
capable,  she  reproached  herself  for  having 
given  the  duke  apparent  reason  for  his  unfound- 
ed suspicions.  Still,  no  power  on  earth  could  in- 


AN   ASMODEAN   GLIMPSE.  171 

duce  her  to  see  him  or  speak  to  him  again.  She 
had  said  farewell  to  him  forever,  and  forever  it 
should  be.  Thus  she  thought,  forgetting  that 
the  only  eternal  farewell  between  lovers  is  the 
one  that  is  never  spoken. 

But  the  loss  of  her  lover  was  not  the  only 
trial  La  Belle  Stuart  was  called  upon  to  endure 
in  those  days.  The  king,  emboldened  by  her 
apparent  encouragement  in  asking  of  him  a 
favor,  persecuted  her  more  than  ever  with  his 
attentions,  which  she  could  not  entirely  repulse. 
In  her  fear  that  the  king  might  become  suspi- 
cious again  and  visit  his  resentment  in  some 
terrible  manner  upon  Richmond,  she  was  forced 
to  play  a  double  part  and  act  as  patroness  to 
more  than  one  suit.  This,  of  course,  but  in- 
creased the  court  gossip,  and  scandal  was  rife 
with  her  name  and  fair  fame,  a  fact  of  which 
she  could  not  be  unaware  and  which  was  gall 
and  wormwood  to  her  proud  spirit. 

Chattering,  idle  tongues  have  done  more  to 
smirch  spotless  innocence  than  all  the  blandish- 
ments of  libertines  in  the  world.  De  mortuis 
nil  nisi  bonum  may  be  a  good  precept,  but 
all  consideration  for  the  living,  for  the  dead 
only  the  truth,  is  a  better.  Calumny  can  not 
hurt  the  dead,  but  the  living  may  die  of  it. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  Lady 
Frances,  with  all  the  tortures  she  was  endur- 


172  NELL   GWYKNE. 

ing,  gave  any  outward  sign  of  her  suffering. 
Her  cheek  might  be  a  little  paler  than  usual, 
perhaps,  but  her  smile  was  as  frequent,  her 
manner  as  calm,  sweet  and  gracious  as  ever. 
Hers  was  not  a  nature  to  wear  her  heart  upon 
her  sleeve  and  to  pour  forth  her  woes  to  an  un- 
sympathizing  world.  She,  with  her  royal  blood, 
was  not  a  Du  Barry  to  shriek  upon  the  scaffold, 
but  a  De  Rohan  to  die  mute. 

Strange  to  say,  none  of  the  tales  anent  the 
king  and  her  favorite  maid  of  honor  had  pene- 
trated to  the  queen's  ears.  Either  the  poor, 
neglected  wife  lived  so  much  in  the  privacy 
of  her  apartments  that  she  was  not  likely  to 
hear  the  gossip,  or  the  scandal-mongers  were 
ashamed  to  wag  their  scurrilous  tongues  in  her 
presence. 

Frances  was  thankful  from  the  bottom  of  her 
heart  that  this  was  so,  not  only  on  her  own 
account,  but  on  account  of  the  queen 

What  would  become  of  the  already  unhappy 
woman  if  there  should  once  enter  her  mind  a 
suspicion  of  the  only  one  in  whom  she  could 
confide  and  to  whom  she  could  freely  unburden 
her  sorrows. 

For  some  days  the  queen  had  been  uneasy 
and  restless,  as  if  she  had  something  on  her 
mind  which  she  hesitated  to  divulge. 

Lady    Frances  was   beginning  to   fear  that 


AN   A8MODEAN   GLIMPSE.  173 

after  all  she  had  obtained  some  inkling  of  the 
odious  stories  that  were  circulating  about  the 
court,  when  her  doubts  were  put  to  rest  on  that 
score  at  least. 

"  It  is  really  very  dull  for  you  all  here,"  said 
the  queen  one  morning,  after  their  return  from 
mass,  to  which  Frances,  although  a  Protestant, 
almost  invariably  accompanied  her.  The  girl 
had  been  brought  up  in  Paris — indeed,  she 
spoke  French  better  than  her  mother  tongue — 
and  consequently  felt  none  of  that  horror  of 
Catholicism  which  was  shared  by  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  English  people  at  that  time.  It 
was,  in  fact,  this  violent  antagonism  to  any- 
thing savoring  of  Popery  that  prevented  Cath- 
arine of  Braganza  receiving  that  meed  of  sym- 
pathy which  she  otherwise  probably  would 
have  received. 

"  It  is  really  very  dull  for  you  all  here,  and 
you  ought  to  have  occasionally  some  amuse- 
ment, instead  of  being  cooped  up  here  with  me 
all  day." 

This  was  said  with  a  somewhat  timid  glance 
at  Lady  Frances,  who,  as  she  was  the  one 
apparently  addressed,  replied  in  all  sincerity : 

"I  do  not  care  for  amusement,  your  majesty. 
But  if  these  ladies,"  indicating  Mistresses  Price 
and  Jennings,  who  were  also  in  the  room,  "find 
it  dull,  we  might  organize  the  masquerade  that 


174  NELL   GWYNNE. 

was  suggested  the  other  day,  with  the  dancers 
in  the  sets  representing  the  different  nations." 

" Pshaw!"  ejaculated  the  queen  somewhat 
pettishly.  "  I  did  not  mean  anything  so  hum- 
drum as  that. 

."No?"  said  Frances,  as  the  queen  paused  as 
if  for  a  reply. 

"  No.  Why  can  we  not  go  to  the  piazza  of 
Covent  Garden,  or  Spring  Gardens?" 

Lady  Frances  understood.  The  queen  had 
not  abandoned  her  idea  of  seeing  one  or  more 
of  those  places  of  public  resort  which  she  knew 
her  husband  loved  to  frequent  in  disguise.  She 
had,  doubtless,  been  encouraged  in  her  project 
also  by  those  of  the  maids  of  honor  who  were 
young  and  giddy  and  longed  for  adventure. 

Frances  did  her  best  to  combat  the  plan,  but 
her  objections  were  overruled.  The  queen  ob- 
stinately contended  that  they  could  be  in  no 
possible  danger,  as  they  would  go  masked,  at- 
tended by  one  or  two  gentlemen  of  the  court. 

At  last,  to  the  evident  satisfaction  of  Jen- 
nings and  Price,  it  was  arranged  that  they 
should  undertake  the  expedition  that  very  even- 
ing, Lady  Frances,  for  the  sake  of  her  royal 
mistress,  reluctantly  consenting  to  accompany 
them. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LB  EOI  S'AMUSE. 

SPRING  Gardens,  Vauxhall,  was  outside  the 
city  proper,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river 
and  nearly  opposite  Westminster.  It  was  the 
favorite  resort  of  the  bucks  and  gallants  of  the 
time,  and  was  really  a  very  pretty  place.  As 
its  name  implied,  it  was  a  large  tract  of  land 
laid  out  as  a  garden  and  hedged  round  with 
gooseberry,  raspberry  and  rose  bushes.  The 
beds,  some  planted  with  flowers  and  some  with 
vegetables,  were  all  bordered  with  jonquils, 
gilliflowers  or  lilies.  The  turf  was  beautifully 
smooth,  the  walks  were  sanded,  and  the  trees 
were  trimmed  into  odd  and  fantastic  shapes. 
In  the  middle  of  the  garden  were  a  clearing  for 
dancing  and  a  pavilion  in  which  the  fiddlers 
were  stationed.  Scattered  all  about  through 
the  shrubbery  were  little  arbors  furnished  with 
tables  and  benches,  at  which  were  served  ales, 
wines  and  cakes,  as  well  as  tea,  which  was  just 
coming  into  fashion,  was  very  expensive  and 

175 


176  NELL   GWYNNE. 

was   generally    imbibed   in   combination    with 
strong  drinks. 

It  was  already  dark ;  the  lamps  were  twink- 
ling among  the  trees,  giving  that  chastened 
light  so  favorable  to  the  soft  murmurings  of 
lovers,  and  the  strings  of  the  fiddles  twanged, 
as  the  musicians  tuned  their  instruments,  pre- 
paratory to  striking  up  a  jig  or  coranto. 

The  waiters,  or  drawers  as  they  were  called, 
hurried  hither  and  thither,  taking  the  orders  of 
the  early  comers  or  preparing  for  the  speedy 
influx  of  guests,  for  on  such  a  fine  evening  as 
this  the  number  of  visitors  was  sure  to  be  large. 

Although  all  the  others  were  busy,  there  was 
jne  drawer  who  stood  moodily  apart,  his  back 
to  a  tree  and  his  hands  thrust  into  the  pockets 
of  his  white  apron.  His  broad-brimmed  hat 
was  pulled  down  over  his  eyes  and  the  collar  of 
his  blouse  was  pulled  up  about  his  neck.  But 
if  one  could  have  got  a  fair  look  at  the  face,  it 
would  have  been  seen  that  it  was  not  that  of  a 
common  servant,  but  the  countenance  of  one  of 
the  most  exquisite  of  the  young  gallants. 

What  could  my  lord  Buckhurst  be  doing  in 
London  and  disguised  as  a  drawer,  when  he 
was  supposed  to  be  miles  away  on  board  the 
Rupert,  repelling  the  attacks  of  the  Dutch? 
The  fact  of  the  matter  was  that  the  young 
nobleman  had  arrived  in  town  that  morning, 


LE   ROI   S' AMUSE.  177 

having  after  the  most  strenuous  exertions  ob- 
tained a  short  leave  of  absence.  The  first  piece 
of  news  that  he  heard  was  the  unpalatable  one 
of  the  change  in  Mistress  Gwynne's  situation. 
If  he  had  been  wise  this  should  have  been 
"  ware  hawk  "  to  him  and  he  would  have  done 
well  to  return  at  once  to  the  fleet.  But  such  a 
proceeding  was  not  at  all  in  accordance  with 
Buckhurst's  impetuous  nature.  He  was  wild 
with  jealousy  and  disappointment,  and  he  de- 
termined to  see  Nell  once  more,  although  he 
knew  that  his  passion  was  hopeless.  At  the 
actress's  residence  he  was  informed  by  a  lackey 
that  his  mistress  was  out,  but  whether  this 
statement  was  true  or  not  is  more  than  open  to 
question. 

For  the  greater  part  of  the  day  Buckhurst 
haunted  the  vicinity  of  Bloomsbury  Square,  but 
without  being  awarded  the  slightest  glimpse  of 
his  inamorata.  At  last,  toward  nightfall,  by 
dint  of  bribing  the  lackey,  he  obtained  the  in- 
formation that  Mistress  Gwynne  had  ordered  her 
coach  for  that  evening  to  convey  her  to  Spring 
Gardens.  To  that  resort  he  therefore  repaired, 
and,  with  the  consent  of  the  proprietor,  who 
knew  his  lordship  well  and  was  accustomed  to 
pranks  of  all  descriptions,  he  borrowed  the  suit 
of  a  deaf  and  dumb  drawer  and  took  his  place 

for  that  evening. 
12 


17S  NELL 

Buckhurst  had  a  pretty  shrewd  suspicion 
that  Nell  had  refused  to  see  him,  but  he  deter- 
mined to  obtain  a  word  with  her  by  stratagem, 
since  open  measures  had  failed.  What  he  in- 
tended to  effect  he  did  not  know  himself ;  his 
only  idea  was  to  see  her  and  speak  to  her. 

The  gardens  were  filling  rapidly,  but  still  no 
sign  of  her  whom  he  had  come  to  seek,  when 
suddenly  a  laugh — a  laugh  that  could  issue  but 
from  one  pair  of  lips — rang  out  on  his  ears; 
and,  peering  through  the  trees,  he  saw  Nell 
come  tripping  toward  him.  With  her  were  two 
gentlemen,  Pepys  and — yes,  his  unfortunate 
predecessor,  the  Duke  of  Richmond. 

The  little  party  entered  one  of  the  arbors  and 
Pepys  called  lustily  for  wine. 

Buckhurst  drew  his  hat  still  further  over  his 
face  and  obeyed  the  summons. 

"Wine!  wine!"  exclaimed  Richmond,  who 
had  evidently  been  indulging  too  heavily.. 
"  Wine !  the  stirrer  of  sluggish  pulses  and  the 
chaser  of  heavy  thoughts.  Wine,  I  say !  Dost 
hear,  sirrah?" 

"Your  pardon,  your  grace,"  interposed  Pe- 
pys, "but  this  is  the  deaf  and  dumb  drawer.  I 
know  him  by  his  hat  and  jerkyn  Permit 
me " 

He  took  the  tablet  which  hung  from  the  sup- 
posititious waiter's  belt  and  wrote  the  order. 


LE  ROI  S'AHUSE.  179 

Buckhurst  glanced  at  the  writing,  nodded  and 
retired.  But,  as  he  did  so,  a  stray  breeze  blew 
back  the  flap  of  his  hat,  and  Nell's  quick  eye 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  face  beneath.  An  ex- 
pression, half  of  amusement,  half  of  vexation, 
gathered  about  her  lips,  but  she  said  nothing  to 
her  companions  of  the  discovery  she  had  made. 

"  How  fortunate  it  was  I  met  you,  Florimel," 
said  Richmond,  with  a  ghastly  attempt  at  mer- 
riment. "I  was  mortal  dull  without  you." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  you  are  mortal  dull  with 
me,"  retorted  Nell,  slyly.  Her  tender  heart 
was  aching  for  this  unhappy  duke,  and,  meet- 
ing him  by  chance,  she  had  determined  to  make 
a  martyr  of  herself  in  the  almost  vain  hope  of 
cheering  him  a  little.  "  Ah  !  here  is  the  wine, 
and  canary,  on  my  life !  " 

"  Aye ! "  cried  Richmond,  taking  a  long 
draught.  "  Hail  to  the  grape,  which  furnishes 
the  only  true  Lethe.  A  song  !  a  song  !  Music 
goes  with  wine." 

" In  public?  Oh,  no!"  laughed  Nell.  "Let 
Master  Pepys  favor  us.  Come,  my  smug-faced 
Samuel,  fling  aside  your  hypocrisy  for  once  and 
tell  us  your  true  sentiments." 

Pepys,  who  was  enjoying  himself  immensely, 
his  only  regret  being  that  his  beloved  Knipp  was 
not  there,  was  nothing  loath,  and,  in  a  by  no 


180  NELL   G  WYNNE. 

means  unmusical  voice,  trolled  forth  the  follow- 
ing verse : 

"  When  grim  death  doth  take  my  breath 
He'll  find  me  with  companions  merry; 

He'll  find  me  drinking,  drinking  deep, 
Sing  derry  down,  derry  down,  deny  ! 
Death  we  defy  !    Pain  comes  not  nigh 
While  drinking,  drinking,  drinking ! " 

"  Bravo !  "  cried  Nell,  clapping  her  little 
hands  in  approbation.  "Who  would  have  be- 
lieved it  of  your  sanctimoniousness?" 

"  'Fore  heaven,  a  good  song,  Master  Pepys, 
and  a  true  one,"  exclaimed  Richmond.  "Pain 
comes  not  nigh  while  drinking,  drinking,  drink- 
ing !  Your  health,  Master  Pepys !  Mistress 
Ellen ! " 

"Wait!"  commanded  Nell,  with  a  swift 
glance  at  Buckhurst,  who  stood  silently  by. 
"  I'll  give  you  a  toast !  A  toast  to  be  drunk  in 
silence !  To  the  health  of  the  departed — Buck- 
hurst." 

Buckhurst  started  so  violently  that  a  plate  he 
held  in  his  hand  fell  to  the  ground  and  was 
dashed  into  a  thousand  pieces. 

"  Clumsy  knave ! "  scolded  Nell,  in  affected 
anger. 

"  To  Buckhurst !     The  departed  Buckhurst  1 " 

"To  the  memory  of  my  lord  Buckhurst!" 
added  Pepys,  solemnly,  "  and  may  the  sea  bring 


LE   ROI   S' AMUSE.  181 

him  wisdom,  for  he  has  a  plentiful  lack  of  it, 
A  shallow  man — shallow,  shallow  !  " 

Oh  !  good  Master  Pepys,  you  who  pride  your- 
self so  on  your  policy,  you  have  put  your  foot 
in  it  again.  If  you  .did  but  know  it,  your  ears 
are  nearer  being  slit  than  when  you  boasted  of 
your  intimacy  with  NelFs  tiring  room. 

Nelly  shook  with  a  convulsive  fit  of  laughter, 
at  which  Pepys  smirked  and  bowed,  thinking  it 
a  tribute  to  his  own  humor. 

"  Faith,  Florimel,  you're  the  merriest  creature 
alive,"  said  Richmond.  "  You  make  a  new  man 
of  me.  Hark,  the  fiddles !  A  dance,  a  dance, 
and  then  to  our  wine  again  !  " 

"Go;  and  you,  too,  Master  Pepys,"  rejoined 
Nell,  after  a  moment's  hesitation.  "  I  want  to 
speak,  or  rather  write,  a  few  words  to  this  man 
here  ;  his  wife  is  one  of  my  pensioners.  I  will 
join  you  presently,  my  lord  duke,  and  dance  you 
such  a  coranto  as  will  send  the  blood  tingling 
like  fire  through  your  veins." 

"  Don't  delay,  for  my  legs  are  itching  to  be  at 
it,"  and  Richmond,  with  Pepys,  walked  away  in 
the  direction  of  the  music. 

Buckhurst  knew  he  was  discovered,  even  be- 
fore Nell's  ironical  salutation  of — 

"  Good  day  to  you,  my  lord  Buckhurst." 

Buckhurst  dashed  his  hat  impetuously  upon 
the  table.  "Traitress!"  he  broke  out,  angrily. 


182  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"  Tilly-vally,  my  lord,"  interposed  Nell,  com- 
posedly, making  use  of  one  of  the  king's  favor- 
ite ejaculations,  "  no  heroics  an'  you  love  me ! 
We  are  not  acting  a  tragedy." 

"No,"  replied  Buckhurst,  quickly,  "it  is  a 
comedy — a  comedy  of  intrigue.  Plague  on  you 
all !  The  memory  of  Buckhurst,  eh !  Zounds, 
my  lady  Nelly,  but  you  shall  have  cause  to  re- 
member him! " 

"  Indeed ! " 

"Ay,  indeed!  So  you  have  graduated  from 
stage  to  court  since  my  departure  !  You  change 
your  lovers  with  facility.  The  latest  fish  in  your 
net  is  that  sea  monster  of  constancy,  my  lord 
duke  of  Richmond.  But  the  king  shall  know  of 
it !  ay,  the  king  shall  know  of  it ! " 

"  And  you  would  be  the  Mercury  to  bear  him 
the  tidings,"  said  Nelly,  just  a  trifle  out  of  tem- 
per. "  Do  so,  by  all  means,  but  it  will  be  you 
who  will  suffer,  not  I.  The  king  knows,  or  may 
know,  all  that  I  do.  He  allows  me  complete 
liberty  of  action." 

Which  was  strictly  true.  Nell  was  entirely 
open  and  fearless  in  all  her  actions,  as,  indeed, 
there  was  no  reason  why  she  should  not  be,  for 
she  had  nothing  to  conceal.  "  When  a  woman 
has  need  to  be  guarded  she  does  not  deserve  the 
trouble,"  she  said  once  to  the  king,  and  Charles, 


LE  ROI  S'AMUSE.  183 

who  had  complete  confidence  in  her,  acquiesced 
and  let  her  go  on  her  merry  way  as  she  pleased. 

"But  there,"  Nell  continued,  suddenly  relax- 
ing into  a  smile,  and  laying  her  hand  in  an 
almost  pleading  way  upon  Buckhurst's  arm, 
"  why  need  we  quarrel  ?  Come,  come,  my  lord, 
you  fancy  yourself  ill-used.  Yes,  fancy.  Stop 
and  ask  yourself  if  it  is  not  all  fancy.  Now 
smooth  away  those  wrinkles.  Cease  thinking 
of  senseless  vengeance.  We  have  always  been 
good  friends  ;  let  us  be  good  friends  still.  Come, 
Harry,  give  me  your  hand." 

A  much  more  ill-natured  man  than  Buck- 
hurst,  who  certainly  was  anything  but  ill- 
natured,  would  have  found  it  difficult  to  resist 
the  frankness  and  good-humor  of  her  tone  and 
manner.  He  took  the  proffered  hand  and  peace 
was  restored. 

It  was  a  most  distinguished  company  at 
Spring  Gardens  that  evening,  for  many  of  the 
highest  in  the  realm  were  there,  aye,  even  the 
highest  in  the  realm.  For,  when  his  subjects 
enjoyed  themselves,  why  not  the  king  ?  More- 
over, who  would  recognize  the  handsome, 
debonair  Charles  in  the  rough  sailor  with  strag- 
gling gray  hair,  a  slouched  hat  and  a  patch 
over  one  eye  ? 

With  his  majesty  was  his  secretary,  Chif- 
finch,  also  muffled  beyond  recognition. 


184  NELL   G  WYNNE.. 

They  had  been  strolling  from  group  to  group, 
apparently  seeking  for  some  one ;  but  if  so  their 
search  had  as  yet  been  unsuccessful. 

"  I  fear  you  are  mistaken,  Chiffinch,"  said 
the  king,  after  a  close  scrutiny  of  a  little  party 
seated  at  one  of  the  tables.  "La  Belle  Stuart 
would  not  come  hither.  I  know  that  Price  and 
Jennings  and  Wells  are  given  to  gad-about 
tricks,  but  that  the  stately  Lady  Frances  should 
join  in  such  a  frolic  I  can  scarce  believe.  If 
she  is  here,  however,  I  cannot  fail  to  discover 
her,  for,  though  of  course  she  will  be  masked, 
that  tell-tale  mole  upon  her  chin  will  disclose 
her  identity." 

"  I  am  certain  that  I  am  not  mistaken,  your 
majesty,"  began  Chiffinch. 

"Take  care,"  interrupted  the  king,  warn- 
ingly.  "  Use  no  titles  here.  You  may  be  over- 
heard. Ah !  there  is  a  bevy  of  fair  ones  we 
have  not  seen  before.  We  may  have  better 
luck  with  them." 

And  better  luck,  if  luck  it  could  be  called, 
they  did  have,  for  in  one  of  the  fair  ones  the 
king  discovered  the  lady  he  was  looking  for. 

At  the  prying,  impertinent  glances  of  the 
rough  looking  sailor,  the  queen  in  alarm  seized 
'Lady  Frances'  arm. 

"You   were    right,"    she    whispered.     "We 


LB  ROI  S'AMUSE.  185 

have  done  wrong  to  venture  into  this  place. 
Let  us  return." 

Mistresses  Jennings  and  Wells,  however,  did 
not  share  their  royal  mistress'  opinion.  They 
were  delighted  that  some  one  should  be  rude  to 
them,  for  there. had  been  no  sport  in  sitting 
mumchance  and  eating  cakes  at  a  table. 

The  attendant  cavaliers,  Etherege  and  Ogle, 
were  on  thorns  at  the  insolent  manner  of  the 
unprepossessing  stranger.  If  any  harm  should 
come  to  the  queen,  their  fortunes  were  marred 
forever. 

''Your  pardon,  sir,"  said  Ogle,  stepping  be- 
tween the  intruder  and  the  ladies,  "  we  would 
be  private." 

"  Tush,  man.  Such  a  flock  of  vizards  needs 
a  better  shepherd  than  you,"  was  the  bold  re- 
sponse. 

"  How  now,  you  saucy  jack,"  exclaimed 
Etherege,  drawing  his  sword.  "Stand  back  or 
I'll  break  my  rapier  about  your  ears." 

But  before  he  could  put  his  threat  into  execu- 
tion he  was  plucked  by  the  sleeve,  and  a  voice 
which  he  recognized  as  that  of  Chiffinch  mut- 
tered low  in  his  ear  : 

"Have  a  care,  Sir  George.     It  is  the  king." 

The  point  of  the  rapier  was  instantly  lowered 
and  Etherege  would  have  knelt  had  not  the 
king  prevented  him  by  a  rapid  gesture. 


186  NELL  GWYNNE. 

The  ladies  meanwhile  stood  huddled  together, 
the  giddy  maids  of  honor  rather  enjoying  the 
excitement,  while  Lady  Frances  was  annoyed 
and  the  queen  frightened.  None  of  them  had 
the  least  suspicion  of  the  identity  of  the 
stranger. 

"  Let  us  go !  Let  us  go ! "  whispered  the 
queen  to  Frances.  But  before  they  could  make 
a  movement  the  ill-favored  individual  was  close 
to  them  and  was  addressing  them  in  a  some- 
what guttural  voice : 

"Your  pardon,  fair  ladies;  but  seeing  that 
you  have  not  sufficient  protection  in  this  ill- 
mannered  place,  I  venture  to  put  my  sword  and 
myself  at  your  command." 

Frances  glanced  about  for  Etherege  and  Ogle, 
but  those  gentlemen  were  deep  in  conversation 
with  the  maids  of  honor,  and  to  her  amazement 
and  indignation  had  apparently  left  the  queen 
and  herself  to  extricate  themselves. 

This  man  must  be  got  rid  of  at  once,  how- 
ever; so,  advancing  a  little,  in  order  to  shield 
the  queen,  Lady  Frances  said  proudly  and 
coldly : 

"We  accept  no  protection  from  strangers." 

"Strangers!"  retorted  the  unknown,  and 
there  was  something  in  the  voice  now,  dis- 
guised as  it  was,  that  struck  Lady  Frances  as 
strangely  familiar.  "  Strangers  !  Perhaps  I  am 


LE   ROI    S' AMUSE.  187 

not  such  a  stranger  as  you  think.  Nay,  I  know 
that  black  vizard  intimately." 

Lady  Frances,  to  gain  time,  was  forced  to  re- 
ply, although  she  was  burning  with  anger  at 
the  neglect  of  those  who  should  have  protected 
them  from  such  annoyance. 

"The  mask,  perhaps,  but  not  the  wearer," 
she  said. 

"  Are  you  so  sure  ?     Shall  I  guess  ?  " 

The  queen,  who  was  just  behind  Frances, 
grasped  her  hand  beneath  the  cover  of  her 
domino,  as  if  to  say,  "Should  he  discover  us?" 

"Fear  nothing,"  whispered  Frances,  with  a 
reassuring  pressure,  "this  is  no  courtier." 

But,  low  as  the  words  were  spoken,  the  king 
caught  them. 

"  No  courtier ! "  he  retorted,  repressing  a 
laugh.  "  No  !  no  more  a  courtier  than  you  are 
court  ladies.  How  could  you  be,  indeed  ?  The 
ladies  of  the  court  are  too  discreet  to  venture  in 
such  places.  They  take  pattern  after  the  queen 
and  that  paragon  of  virtue,  La  Belle  Stuart." 

Lady  Frances  started.  This  was  becoming 
serious.  Who  could  this  man  be  ?  Did  he  know 
them  ?  Before  she  could  decide  what  to  do,  her 
tormentor  continued : 

"  Courtier  or  not,  you'll  find  me  the  most  de- 
voted of  slaves,  the  most  amusing  of  compan- 
ions. I'll  sing  you  the  latest  song,  tell  you  the 


188  NELL  GWYNNE. 

story  of  the  last  new  play,  or  give  you  the  last 
bit  of  court  gossip.  The  latter  concerns  that 
same  Lady  Frances.  Listen,  ladies,  you'll  find 
it  most  amusing — the  pleasantest  tale  in  life. 
'Tis  of  how  the  king  told  his  passion  to  the  fair 
and  frozen  Frances " 

A  low  cry  of  horror  and  amazement  rang  out 
on  the  air,  and  the  queen  hurriedly  withdrew 
her  hand  from  the  clasp  in  which  it  had  lain. 

"Sir,  whoever  you  are,  in  pity's  sake  leave 
us ! "  implored  Frances,  in  an  agony  of  appre- 
hension, and  with  a  suspicion  which  was  very 
near  the  truth  gradually  forming  in  her  mind. 

"Nay,  madam,"  replied  the  king,  who,  if  he 
knew  Lady  Frances,  had  not  the  faintest  idea 
who  her  companion  was.  "Nay,  madam,  if 
you  are  not  interested  in  my  story,  this  lady  ap- 
pears to  be.  Let  her  hear  how  the  fair  and 
frozen  Frances  preached  him  a  sermon  and  laid 
before  him  his  whole  duty  to  his  wife  ;  how  the 
wicked  king  was  abashed  and  had  a  minute's 
mind  to  eschew  gallantry  and  turn  a  good  hum- 
drum husband." 

The  queen  again  slipped  her  hand  into  that 
of  Lady  Frances.  Thank  Heaven,  she  at  least 
had  proved  true. 

"But  the  devil  whispered  a  doubt  if  the 
Stuart  were  as  cold  as  she  seemed,"  proceeded 
the  king,  drawing  closer,  and  abandoning  little 


LE  ROI  S'AMTJSE.  189 

by  little  his  assumed  voice,  "  and  insinuated 
that  she  followed  her  own  diversions  in  secret. 
So  the  king  watched  and  watched,  and  Satan 
watched,  too,  in  the  likeness  of  Will  Chiffinch 
and  led  the  king  to  a  certain  garden,  where 
whom  should  he  meet  but  this  pink  of  purity, 
this  statue  of  snow,  this  Diana  in  a  laced  petti- 
coat, Lady  Frances  Stuart." 

Lady  Frances  by  this  time  was  in  an  agony 
of  fear  and  apprehension.  She  knew  now  who 
the  story-teller  was.  How  could  she  stop  him? 
How  could  she  prevent  the  queen  hearing  any- 
thing further?  Suddenly,  to  her  horror,  the 
king  grasped  her  arm  and  went  on,  rapidly  and 
passionately,  his  hot  breath  fanning  her  cheek. 

"  The  king  accosted  her, — she  was  masked 
and  thought  herself  unknown, — and  clasping 
her  wrist  with  one  hand,  he  flung  his  other  arm 
about  her  waist." 

As  he  spoke  he  suited  the  action  to  the  word. 

"Holy  saints!"  murmured  the  queen,  stag- 
gering back  faint  and  weak,  while  Lady 
Frances,  struggling  in  the  king's  embrace, 
cried  aloud  for  help. 

Etherege,  Ogle  and  Chiffinch  involuntarily 
started  forward,  but  the  king  fiercely  ordered 
them  back,  and,  straining  the  helpless  Frances 
to  his  breast,  pressed  kiss  after  kiss  upon  the 
mole  which  had  made  the  mask  useless. 


190  NELL  GWYKNE. 

"I  implore,"  pleaded  Frances,  desperately. 
"Your  majesty " 

"  So  you  have  divined  the  truth.  Yes,  I  am 
the  king,  who  henceforth  holds  Frances  Stuart 
as  any  other  woman,  save  that  he  loves  her 
more  than  any  other  woman  in  the  world." 

But  what  was  this  ?  A  cry  of  anguish,  a  cry 
of  despair,  and  in  a  voice  that  pierced  the 
king's  brain  and  restored  him  to  his  sober 
senses,  rang  out  the  words : 

"  No !  No !  Not  before  my  face !  Charles ! 
Charles  !  my  husband ! " 

And  Lady  Frances*  companion,  to  whom 
Charles  had  paid  but  scanty  attention,  reeled 
and  would  have  fallen  had  not  Chiffinch  sprang 
forward  and  caught  her  in  his  arms.  The 
mask  became  unloosened  and  revealed  to  the 
king's  horrified  gaze  the  white,  drawn  counte- 
nance of  his  outraged  wife. 

"  The  Queen !  " 

Lady  Frances  tore  off  her  own  mask  and 
faced  him  with  blazing  eyes. 

"  Ay,  sir,  the  queen,'''  she  repeated,  bitterly. 
"  Oh !  this  was  well  done !  You  have  stained  a 
spotless  honor  and  broken  a  loving  heart." 

To  do  the  king  justice,  he  was  shocked  be- 
yond measure.  Not  for  half  his  kingdom 
would  he  have  had  such  a  thing  happen.  All 
his  better  nature  came  to  the  fore.  He  seized 


LE  EOI  S' AMUSE.  191 

the  queen's  cold  hands  and  chafed  them  in  his 
own. 

"Kate!  Kate!  my  poor  Kate!"  he  mur- 
mured. "  How  came  she  here  ?  Would  that  1 
had  known  it !  '  Kate,  look  up !  Kate ! " 

But  for  once  her  ears  were  deaf  to  his  voice. 
Pale,  rigid,  without  consciousness,  she  lay  in 
Chiffinch's  arms. 

With  a  groan,  Charles  turned  to  the  others, 
who  stood  near  by,  hushed  and  horrified. 

"  Not  a  word  of  this,  on  your  lives ! "  he  com- 
manded in  a  choked  voice.  "  Her  name  must 
not  be  mentioned  here.  That  pavilion  is 
empty.  Bear  her  in  there !  We  will  send  for 
Pierce  at  once !  Bear  her  in !  Gently  !  gently  I " 

Into  the  pavilion  they  carried  the  poor  wom- 
an, while  Charles  followed,  racked  with  anx- 
iety and  shame.  Lady  Frances  was  left  alone. 
How  could  she  follow !  Poor  queen !  Dear 
mistress!  Would  she  ever  dare  to  look  upon 
her  face  again !  Oh  !  what  sort  of  a  king  was 
this  who  dared  to  trample  upon  all  that  came 
between  him  and  his  desires !  And  what  would 
become  of  her?  Who  would  ever  believe  now 
that  Lady  Frances  Stuart,  who  had  held  her 
head  so  high,  was  innocent?  And  there  was 
no  one  to  defend  her  !  No  one !  No  one ! 

With  a  choking  sob,  she  sank  down  upon  a 
neighboring  bench  and  covered  her  face  with 


192  NELL   GWYNNE. 

her  hands.  Oh,  Richmond  I  Richmond  !  Yes, 
he  was  right  and  she  had  been  wrong.  All 
feigning  was  a  mistake  and  led  only  to  worse 
ills.  She  would  go  to  him  ;  she  would  humble 
herself  before  him  and  ask  his  forgiveness,  she 
would 

But  at  this  point  in  her  bitter  reflections  she 
was  startled  by  the  sound  of  voices  and  laugh- 
ter. She  rose  to  her  feet,  hastily  readjusted 
her  mask,  and  shrank  into  the  shadows  of  the 
shrubbery. 

From  her  retreat  she  peered  between  the 
leaves  and  saw  coming  toward  her,  with  twa 
male  escorts,  one  on  either  side,  a  woman  whose 
uncovered  face  she  at  once  recognized  as  that 
of  the  chief  actress  of  his  majesty's  playhouse. 
But  who  was  that  on  her  right  ?  A  fierce  pang 
shot  through  Lady  Frances'  heart.  Yes,  it  was 
Richmond  !  Richmond,  evidently  in  liquor  and 
with  that  woman  !  She  was  not  ignorant  of  the 
excesses  into  which  Richmond  had  plunged. 
How  could  she  have  been,  living  in  that  hot-bed 
of  gossip  and  scandal,  the  court  ?  To  be  a  devo- 
tee of  the  winecup  was  bad  enough,  but  to  find 
consolation  in  this  way  was  worse.  Ah !  he 
had  not  loved  her  as  she  had  loved  him  or  he 
never  would  have  stooped  so  low  !  Humble  her- 
self before  him!  Ask  his  forgiveness  now  I 
Never  I  All  was  over  1  There  was  nothing  left 


LB  ROI  S' AMUSE.  193 

to  her  now  but  pride,  silence  and  a  breaking 
heart. 

Nell,  Richmond  and  Pepys,  who  was  the  third 
of  the  party,  sat  down  at  a  table  near  by,  and 
Lady  Frances  could  distinctly  hear  the  actress' 
merry  words. 

"A  fig  for  Jacob  Hall,  after  that!  Why, 
you  have  danced  the  breath  out  of  my  body ! 
Order  us  some  wine,  sober  Samuel." 

"Ay,"  exclaimed  Richmond,  eagerly.  "You 
are  right,  my  Florimel!  More  wine!  More 
wine  1 " 

Even  as  he  spoke,  what  was  that  noise  that 
broke  dully  upon  the  ear  ?  A  low,  far  off,  hol- 
low boom. 

"What's  that?"  cried  Nell,  starting  in  alarm. 

Richmond  started,  too,  but  not  from  the  same 
sensation. 

Again  the  sound  was  repeated. 

Richmond  rose  hastily. 

"It  sounds  like  distant  firing,"  he  said.  "I 
will  go  and  learn  what  it  means." 

"  I  like  that  man ! "  said  Nell,  emphatically, 
to  Pepys.  "  He  is  not  like  most  of  your  sex  I 
He  is  constant.  Eh,  mercy  on  me !  What  is 
this  I  " 

The  exclamation  was  caused  by  the  appear- 
ance of  a  poorly  dressed  figure,  with  gray  hair 

13 


194  NELL   GWYNNE. 

and  a  patch  over  the  eye,  which  was  descend- 
ing the  steps  of  the  pavilion". 

"  He's  as  old  as  the  hills,"  said  Pepys. 

"Yes,  old  as  father  Time.  I'll  speak  to 
him!"  for  the  figure  had  now  advanced  close  to 
them.  "  Ho !  there !  venerable  father,  where 
are  your  hour-glass  and  scythe?  " 

"You  here,  Nelly?"  was  the  response  in  a 
well-known  voice,  which  startled  them  both. 

"Your  majesty!''' 

"  Yes,  but  say  nothing.  Master  Pepys,  I  rely 
upon  your  discretion." 

And  he  passed  hurriedly  on,  only  to  be 
stopped  a  few  paces  away  by  Lady  Frances, 
who,  in  her  anxiety  as  to  the  queen's  condi- 
tion, emerged  from  her  concealment. 

"The  queen,  sire!  How  fares  it  with  the 
queen  ?  " 

"Better,  much  better.  She  has  recovered 
consciousness.  It  is  nothing  serious.  But  let 
me  take  you  from  this  place.  It  befits  you  not 
to  be  here." 

But  Lady  Frances  drew  herself  up  proudly. 

"As  little  as  it  befits  your  majesty.  I  will 
gd  alone." 

Once  again  came  that  heavy,  ominous  rever- 
beration. 

"What's  that?"  exclaimed  the  king  in  sur- 
prise. 


LB  ROI  S' AMUSE.  195 

Scarcely  were  the  words  out  of  his  mouth, 
when  Richmond  hurriedly  returned  and,  in  a 
voice  which  was  easily  heard  by  Lady  Frances 
and  the  king,  announced  to  Nell  and  Pepys  that 
it  was  the  roar  of  distant  cannon,  the  Dutch 
guns. 

All  were  struck  with  consternation.  This 
was  the  first  time  that  an  enemy's  guns  had 
ever  been  heard  in  the  capital. 

"  Oh !  would  I  were  a  fireship  to  drive  the 
Dutchman  out  of  the  waters  I"  exclaimed  Nell, 
with  fiery  patriotism. 

Boom !     Boom  !     Boom ! 

The  muffled  sound  filled  the  king  with  anger 
and  alarm  and  drove  Richmond,  in  his  excited 
state,  half  mad.  De  Ruyter  in  English  waters 
and  he  not  there  ?  Ah !  it  was  to  her  that  he 
owed  that !  But,  ship  or  no  ship,  he  would 
hasten  at  once  to  the  fleet. 

"  Good-bye,  Nelly,"  he  said,  abruptly. 

Nell  looked  up  in  surprise. 

"  What,  already  1  The  Dutch  are  not  upon 
us  yet.  Well,  if  you  will,  you  will,  but  we 
must  have  a  parting  health  before  you  go." 

"  No !  "  retorted  Richmond,  shortly.  "  Those 
guns  have  sobered  me.  They  ring  the  knell 
of  England's  honor  in  my  ears." 

As  the  king  heard  these  words,  he  flushed 
hotly.  But  there  was  worse  yet  to  come,  far 


196  NELL   G  WYNNE. 

worse.  As  if  seized  by  a  sudden  impulse,  Rich- 
mond snatched  a  beaker  of  wine  and  held  it 
high  in  air. 

"  A  health,  did  you  say,  my  Florimel !  Ay, 
I'll  give  you  a  health!"  he  cried  wildly,  and 
then  continued,  his  frenzy  increasing  with 
every  word  he  uttered,  and  utterly  oblivious  of 
all  Nell's  attempts  to  stop  him.  "Fill  your 
glasses  high,  for  I  drink  to  the  memory  of  a 
man,  by  birth  a  yeoman,  but  by  soul  an  em- 
peror. Raise  your  glasses  high,  dwarfs,  for  I 
drink  to  a  giant.  While  he  lived,  no  Dutch- 
man swept  our  seas,  no  profligate  women  lord- 
ed it  in  high  places.  Drink,  drink  with  rever- 
ence and  honor  to  the  memory  of  the  Protect- 
or !  Ay !  the  Protector !  the  Protector  of  every 
honest  man  and  every  chaste  woman  in  the 
land;  and  the  scourge  of  cowardly  soldiers,  cut- 
purse  nobles  and  lascivious  kings !  " 

He  raised  the  glass  to  his  lips  and  drained  it 
to  the  dregs ;  then  flinging  it  crashingly  from 
him,  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  rushed  madly 
away.  Nell  and  Pepys  gazed  at  one  another  in 
horrified  silence.  This  treason  in  the  presence 
of  the  king !  For  his  majesty  was  only  a  few 
steps  away  and  must  have  heard  it  all. 

Yes,  his  majesty  had  heard  it  all.  Amaze- 
ment had  held  him  rooted  to  the  spot  until 
Richmond  had  finished  his  impassioned  tirade 


LE   ROI   S' AMUSE.  197 

and  'famished.  Then,  with  a  savage  impreca- 
tion, h<3  hissed  between  his  teeth  : 

"  8ucli  speeches  as  these  lay  the  tongue  that 
utters  them  in  the  dust !  " 

Lady  Frances  grasped  his  arm,  and  mur- 
mured through  white  trembling  lips  : 

"  Oh !  heed  him  not,  sire.  He  is  drunk,  he 
is  mad,  and  I  am  to  blame  for  it !  " 

But  before  the  king  could  reply,  Chiffinch 
appeared,  saying  that  the  queen  was  quite  re- 
covered and  had  asked  for  his  majesty. 

Charles  shook  off  Lady  Frances'  hand. 

"  Cromwell's  health  pledged  in  my  presence  ! 
Ah !  he  shall  dearly  pay  for  this !  Ay !  with 
his  life!" 

And  he  was  gone,  leaving  Lady  Frances  to 
digest  his  words  as  best  she  could.  A  hand, 
cold  and  unyielding  as  steel,  seemed  to-grasp 
the  poor  girl's  heart.  The  lights  danced  before 
her  eyes,  the  music  seemed  far,  far  away. 

"  Good  Master  Chiffinch,"  she  said  faintly, 
stretching  out  her  hands  like  one  groping  in 
the  dark,  "  take  me  home  1  take  me  home  1 " 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   REIGNING   FAVORITE. 

*  <•  /"""^  AD'S  my  life,  but  this  is  scandalous  1 


exclaimed  -the  king,  abruptly  entering 
the  apartment  where  Nell  Gwynne  sat,  idly 
strumming  the  lute  and  singing  snatches  of 
song  for  her  own  amusement. 

"What  is  scandalous,  Sire?  "  she  asked,  cast- 
ing aside  the  instrument,  and  rising  to  receive 
her  sovereign  and  lover. 

Very  pretty  and  girlish  she  looked,  with  her 
auburn  curls  falling  about  her  bright  young 
face.  She  wore  a  gown  of  white  silk,  brocaded 
with  flowers  and  cut  so  as  to  display  the  soft 
whiteness  of  her  beautifully  moulded  neck  and 
arms.  The  robe  was  looped  over  a  petticoat  of 
pale  blue  quilted  satin,  from  beneath  which 
peeped  a  daintily  shod  foot. 

The  king  was  by  no  means  blind  to  her 
beauty,  as  fresh  and  smiling  as  a  May  morning, 
and  much  of  the  irritation  faded  from  his  face 
as  his  eyes  rested  upon  her. 

Day  by  day,  Nell's  ascendancy  over  the  king 

198 


THE   REIGNING   FAVORITE.  199 

was  increasing.  She  was  a  constant  diversion 
to  him  because  of  her  good  spirits  and  the  live- 
liness of  her  wit ;  her  musical  laughter  delight, 
edand  her  unswerving  fidelity  satisfied  him.  It 
was  with  the  deepest  sense  of  relief  that  he 
turned  to  her  after  the  exactions  and  caprices 
of  the  Portsmouths  and  Castlemaines. 

"  What  is  scandalous,  Sire?  " 

"See  what  was  found  attached  to  my  door 
this  morning,"  and  he  tossed  her  a  bit  of  paper 
with  writing  upon  it.  "  Read  that.  There  was 
a  time  when  asses  spoke;  now  they  write." 

Nell  unfolded  the  paper  and  read  as  follows : 

"  Here  lies  our  sovereign  lord  the  king, 

Whose  word  no  man  relies  on, 
Who  never  said  a  foolish  thing 

And  never  did  a  wise  one." 

"  I  wish  I  knew  who  dared  write  it,"  growled 
the  king.  "  He  should  dearly  rue  it." 

Nell's  gray  eyes  were  sparkling  with  merri- 
ment. She  thoroughly  appreciated  the  force 
and  the  truth  of  the  mock  epitaph,  and  she 
could  not  but  be  amused  by  it. 

"  It  is  the  tomfoolery  of  that  mad  rogue, 
Rochester,  my  life  on  it,"  she  said,  and  then 
added,  demurely :  "  But  your  majesty  should 
not  be  angry  at  so  flattering  an  effusion." 

"Flattering!"  flinging  himself  down  in  a 
chair.  "How  so?' 


200  NELL   GWYJSTKE. 

"Do  you  not  see  the  meaning  hidden  beneath 
the  words?  I  gave  your  majesty  credit  for 
more  wit.  Why,  there  is  no  doubt  about  it. 
The  writer  intends  to  imply  that  your  discourse 
is  your  own,  but  your  actions  are  your  min- 
istry's." 

The  king  laughed  outright,  his  good  humor 
entirely  restored. 

"  'Fore  Heaven,  Nelly,"  he  said.  "  I  believe 
you  could  find  good  in  everything,  and  persuade 
me  that  my  enemies  are  my  friends." 

Nelly  came  and  sat  down  beside  him. 

"  There  is  one  whom  you  consider  your  enemy 
that  I  would  fain  persuade  your  majesty  was 
your  friend  at  heart." 

"  Of  what  could  not  those  rosy  lips  persuade 
me?" 

"  Nay,  your  majesty,  I  am  serious." 

"  By  my  faith,  a  miracle!  Nell  Gwynne 
serious ! " 

"  Yes,  your  majesty,  for  I  have  a  petition  to 
lay  at  your  feet." 

"  Now,  this  is  more  and  more  astonishing. 
You  with  a  petition !  I  expect  that  from  Ports- 
mouth, but  not  from  my  pretty  Nell.  Well, 
what  is  it  ?  It  is  granted,  of  course." 

Nell  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then,  raising 
her  eyes,  half  pleadingly,  half  timidly,  to  the 
king,  she  said  seriously  : 


THE   REIGNING   FAVORITE.  201 

"  I  would  ask  the  pardon  of  that  poor,  mis- 
guided  nobleman,  the  Duke  of  Richmond." 

At  mention  of  this  name,  Charles'  face  cloud- 
ed over  and  he  replied,  brusquely : 

"  It  is  ill  jesting  on  grave  matters." 

But  Nell  was  not  to  be  put  off.  She  was 
greatly  interested  in  Richmond  and  his  unhappy 
love  affair,  and  she  had  set  her  heart  upon  ob- 
taining from  the  king  forgiveness  of  the  duke's 
rash  speech  in  Spring  Gardens. 

"Nay,  I  am  not  jesting,"  she  said,  earnestly. 
"  Oh  !  forgive  him,  sire !  He  meant  not  a  word 
of  what  he  said !  I  feel  it !  I  know  it !  Think 
of  his  position,"  she  went  on  rapidly.  <<He 
loved  his  country,  he  was  devoted  to  your  maj- 
esty's person,  when,  suddenly,  through  no  fault 
of  his  own,  yes,  through  no  fault  of  his  own,  he 
was  disgraced  from  his  command  that  it  might 
be  given  to  my  lord  Buckhurst.  Think  of  what 
he  felt  when  he  heard  those  guns  and  he  was 
not  there.  Thank  Heaven,  the  Dutch  have 
been  repulsed,  but  they  would  never  have  come 
up  so  far  again,  had  his  grace  of  Richmond 
remained  captain  of  the  Rupert." 

The  king  was  silent  for  a  moment.  He  knew 
that  much  that  Nelly  said  was  true,  and  he  had 
reproached  himself  before  this  for  having  too 
abruptly  deprived  a  capable  officer  of  his  com- 


202  FELL   GWYNNE. 

mand,  at  a  time  too  when  the  fleet  was  in  sore 
need  of  capable  officers. 

"  Still,"  he  said,  thoughtfully,  "that  is  no  ex- 
cuse for  his  drinking  Cromwell's  health." 

"No  excuse,  sire,"  replied  Nell,  quickly, 
"But  his  fault  is  not  beyond  pardon.  It  was 
the  folly  of  a  brain  maddened  by  drink.  In  his 
sober  senses  he  never  would  have  been  guilty 
of  such  a  thing.  Clemency  is  the  prerogative 
of  kings,  your  majesty,  and  even  his  enemies 
have  never  accused  Charles  of  being  lacking  in 
generosity." 

"I  have  not  defended  my  rights  sufficiently, 
Nell,  nor  been  severe  enough  when  occasion  re- 
quired. But  that  was  perhaps  the  result  of 
laziness  rather  than  generosity." 

"  Be  lazy  now  then,  sire,  and  refuse  to  visit 
your  displeasure  upon  Richmond." 

Charles  smiled  and  Nell  knew  her  cause  was 
won. 

"You  are  a  spoiled  child,  Nelly,  and  I  can  re- 
fuse  you  nothing." 

"  Then  the  duke  is  forgiven?" 

«Ye— es." 

"And  you  will  give  him  a  new  command?  " 

"  Cormorant ! " 

4  Will  you  ?  Ah !  your  majesty,  a  man  of 
parts  doomed  to  idleness  is  as  severe  a  blow  to 
his  country  as  a  lost  battle." 


THE   REIGNING  FAVORITE.  203 

"Where  did  that  little  head  learn  so  much 
wisdom  ?  Ah !  well.  They  all  have  their  cap. 
tains  by  favor.  Why  not  you  ?  " 

In  genuine  delight  at  the  success  of  her  suit, 
Nell  stooped  and  kissed  the  hand  that  rested 
upon  the  arm  of  the  chair. 

"  Nay,  sweetheart,"  said  Charles,  with  ten. 
der  gallantry,  "not  the  hand,  but  the  lips. 
Here  I  am  not  the  king,  but  Charles  Stuart, 
a  wearied  man  who  comes  here  to  find  rest." 

"  And  it  is  not  the  king  I  love,  but  the  man," 
said  Nell,  softly. 

"  I  know  it !  I  know  it !  Ah !  Nell,  would 
there  were  more  who  were  as  sincere  as  you. 
Your  playhouse  poet  was  right  when  he  wrote 
uneasy  lies  the  head  that  wears  a  crown.  My 
child,  I  am  torn  to  death  by  the  clamors  of  the 
people  of  England.  What  shall  I  do  to  please 
the.n?" 

Nell  glanced  up  at  him  from  under  her  long 
lashes  and  then  answered  boldly  : 

"  May  it  please  your  majesty,  there  is  but  one 
way  left." 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"  Dismiss  your  ladies,  may  it  please  your  maj- 
esty, and  mind  your  business." 

Charles  started,  but  it  was  impossible  to  be 
angry  with  Nelly 

"Odds  fish,  I  believe  you  are  half  right,"  he 


204  NELL   GWY1STNE. 

said,  with  a  laugh.  "  But  if  there  were  only 
some  one  whom  I  could  trust  with  the  execution 
of  public  affairs  all  would  go  well." 

"  Indeed,  there  is  a  good,  honest,  able  man 
that  I  could  name,"  replied  Nell,  with  a  sly 
twinkle  in  her  eye,  "whom  if  your  majesty 
would  employ  and  command  to  see  things  well 
executed,  all  things  would  be  soon  mended." 

•'Indeed,  and  who  is  that?"  asked  Charles, 
with  some  curiosity. 

"  One  Charles  Stuart,  who  now  spends  his 
time  in  employing  his  lips  about  the  court  and 
hath  no  other  employment;  but  if  you  would 
give  him  this  employment,  he  were  the  fittest 
man  in  the  world  to  perform  it." 

Charles  made  a  grimace  at  her  and  pinched 
her  pretty  cheek.  He  could  not  but  swallow 
the  pill,  thus  cleverly  sugar  coated  as  it  was 
with  flattery. 

"  Since  you  are  so  wise,"  he  said,  half  jesting 
and  half  serious,  "if  you  were  in  my  place, 
what  would  you  do  first?" 

Nelly  leaned  her  curly  head  upon  a  hand 
which,  for  whiteness  and  delicacy  of  shape, 
would  have  done  honor  to  the  finest  lady  of 
quality. 

"What  would  I  do  first?"  she  repeated  re- 
flectively. "Ah,  that  I  know  not.  I  was  not 


THE  REIGNING  FAVORITE.  205 

bred  to  the  business.  But  I  know  of  one  thing 
that  I  would  certainly  do  at  some  time." 

"And  that?  "  asked  the  king,  amused  and  in- 
terested. 

Nell's  pretty  face,  usually  so  merry  and 
laughing,  grew  very,  very  serious. 

"  It  is  an  idea  I  have  had  in  my  head  a  long 
time,"  she  said  slowly,  "  a  dream  I  long  to  see 
realized.  All  about  the  city  are  poor  disabled 
sailors  and  soldiers  who  have  fought  your  maj- 
esty's battles,  and  some  of  them  by  their  age 
doubtless  those  of  your  majesty's  father  too. 
Everywhere  you  can  see  them  without  legs  and 
without  arms  holding  out  their  hands  for 
charity." 

"A  most  remarkable  achievement,  truly, 
Nell,"  remarked  the  king,  slyly.  "  Men  with, 
out  arms  holding  out  their  hands,  eh." 

"  Tilly  vally,  you  know  what  I  mean,"  said 
Nelly,  making  a  pretty  \noue,  "  I  say  it  is  a 
shame,"  she  went  on,  paying  no  further  atten- 
tion to  the  interruption,  "that  old  men  who 
have  fought  at  Edge  Hill  and  Marston  Moor, 
and  younger  ones  who  can  show  that  they 
have  bled  at  Naseby  and  Worcester, — where 
you  were  yourself,  sire." 

"  Ay,  I  was  there  and  ran  away  from  Crom- 
well with  all  the  rest  of  them,"  put  in  the  king 
with  grim  humor. 


206  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"  That  is  neither  here  nor  there,"  continued 
Nell,  severely.  "  I  say  that  it  is  a  shame  that 
those  veterans,  covered  with  wounds  and  glory, 
should  be  allowed  to  beg  their  bread  in  the 
streets  and  sink  into  their  graves  without  a 
home  to  shelter  them.  I  say  it  is  a  shame,  nay, 
a  sin,  fo  let  old  sailors  and  soldiers  carry  about 
their  scars  as  witnesses  of  their  king's  forget- 
fulness.  Is  it  not  cruel  that  those  who,  for 
their  king's  sake,  have  left  some  of  their  limbs 
in  a  strange  country  should  have  no  resting- 
place  for  the  limbs  they  have  in  their  own?" 

The  king  was  serious  enough  now.  The 
merry  monarch's  sins  toward  his  people  were 
sins  of  omission  rather  than  commission.  He 
was  careless  and  thoughtless  enough,  but  not 
cruel  or  heartless,  and  a  case  of  suffering  or 
injustice  was  rarely  brought  to  his  notice  that 
he  did  not  make  an  effort  to  relieve  the  pain 
and  right  the  injustice. 

While  the  plague  was  at  its  height,  he  sent  a 
thousand  pounds  a  week  for  the  relief  of  the 
destitute  multitudes  who  were  ill  or  had  been 
turned  out  of  work,  and  a  thousand  pounds  a 
week  is  no  mean  gift  even  for  a  king. 

"What  would  you  have  me  do,  Nell?"  he 
asked,  as  Nell  paused  breathless. 

Her  cheeks  flushed  and  her  eyes  kindled. 

"What  would  I  have  you  do?"   she  cried 


THE  KEIGNING   FAVORITE.  20? 

excitedly.  "  I  would  have  you  do  this,  Charles  ! 
I  would  have  you  build  a  large,  substantial, 
commodious,  genteel  looking  house  on  some 
nice  spot  by  the  banks  of  the  Thames,  where 
the  old  sailors  and  soldiers  could  live  happy  and 
contented,  where  they  should  sit  down  to  roast 
and  boiled  every  day  and  plum  pudding  on 
a  Sunday  and  an  allowance  for  a  little  tobacco ; 
ay,  and  a  drop  of  grog  too,  to  drink  the  health 
of  his  majesty,  God  bless  him !  for  he  would  be 
blessed  I  know  1 " 

The  king  took  the  pretty  cheeks  between  his 
hands  and  looked  into  the  brave  eyes  with 
something  suspiciously  like  a  tear  trembling  in 
his  own. 

"  And  Heaven  bless  you,  my  little  Nelly," 
he  said  in  a  voice  that  shook  just  a  little, 
"  Would  there  were  more  like  you  I  In  your 
face  there  is  an  eternal  sweetness,  youth  and 
air  which  never  dwelt  in  any  face  but  yours, 
and  your  character  is  like  your  face.  Your 
dream  shall  be  realized,  my  lass.  The  house 
shall  be  built,  my  old  faithful  soldiers  shall  be 
fed  and  clothed,  and  their  scars  shall  be  no 
longer  a  reproach  to  their  king.  Ay,  and 
you,  sweet  Nelly,  shall  have  the  ordering  of  it 
all." 

"  You  mean  it  ?    You  will  do  this ! " 

"Foide  roil" 


208  NELL   GWYNNE. 

And  the  king  kept  his  word.  For  to  this  day 
the  Royal  Hospital  of  Chelsea  stands,  an  endur- 
ing monument  of  the  kindness  of  heart  and  ten- 
der, unselfish  solicitude  for  others  of  Eleanor 
Gwynne,  "the  indiscreetest  and  wildest  creat- 
ure that  ever  was  in  a  court." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

NELL   TO   THE   RESCUE! 

THE  truth  of  the  old  adage  as  to  the  turbu- 
lent course  of  true  love  was  certainly 
most  abundantly  exemplified  in  Lady  Frances' 
case.  The  road  the  poor  girl  was  forced  to 
travel  those  days  was  stony,  rough  and  full  of 
briars ;  for  now  she  was  not  only  called  upon  to 
bear  the  pangs  of  estrangement  from  her  lover 
and  the  tortures  of  being  placed  in  a  false  and 
shameful  position,  but  there  was  the  added 
agony  of  fear  as  to  Richmond's  probable  fate. 
The  words  he  had  given  utterance  to  in  his  mad 
fury  were  treason,  treason  to  his  country  and 
his  king,  and  there  was  nothing  less  likely  than 
that  the  latter,  under  the  circumstances,  would 
pardon  them.  For  a  moment  Lady  Frances 
thought  of  going  to  Charles  and  interceding 
with  him  for  the  offender,  but  a  little  reflection 
convinced  her  that  such  a  course  would  be 
worse  than  useless.  It  would  awaken  again  all 
the  king's  slumbering  suspicions,  and  would 
only  be  adding  fuel  to  the  flame. 

14  209 


210  .  NELL   GWYNNE. 

Torn  with  anxiety  she  passed  two  forlorn, 
miserable  days.  When  she  went  to  inquire  for 
the  queen  and  tender  her  services,  her  majesty 
refused  to  see  her,  and  although  she  felt  this 
refusal  keenly,  it  was  not  an  unmixed  grief,  for 
it  enabled  her  to  hide  her  white  face  and  hag- 
gard eyes  in  the  privacy  of  her  own  apartment. 
All  her  pride  was  gone,  her  haughty  spirit  was 
bowed  in  the  dust.  She  loved,  and  the  man  she 
loved  was  in  danger.  In  presence  of  such  a  ca- 
lamity what  mattered  all  else  ?  The  indignities, 
the  suspicions,  the  insults  even  to  which  she  had 
been  subjected  s\ink  into  insignificance  and 
seemed  petty  enough  now.  She  lived  over 
again  the  past — her  first  meeting  with  Richmond 
at  her  ancestral  home,  the  gradual  dawning  of 
her  love  amidst  the  hop  gardens  of  Kent,  the 
rapturous  hour  when  she  knew  that  that  love 
was  returned,  the  days  of  cloudless  happiness 
that  followed,  the  outbreak  of  the  war  and 
Richmond's  departure  to  join  the  fleet,  followed 
almost  immediately  by  her  summons  to  court 
as  ward  and  kinsman  of  the  king,  the  kindling 
of  Charles'  hateful  passion,  Richmond's  return, 
and  the  ghastly  succession  of  circumstances 
which  had  culminated  in  her  present  despair. 
She  took  out  Richmond's  letters,  and  with  eyes 
which  the  scalding  tears  ever  and  anon  blinded, 
read  the  lines  so  full  of  devotion. 


NELL   TO   THE    RESCUE  !  211 

Bitterly  did  she  reproach  herself  that,  misled 
by  her  fears,  she  had  ever  deviated  in  the 
slightest  degree  from  the  straight  path  of  truth. 

If  she  could  but  reverse  the  hour-glass  of 
time,  how  differently  she  would  act.  With 
every  moment  of  her  despair,  her  love,  over- 
riding all  else,  grew  stronger  and  stronger,  until 
it  took  complete  possession  of  her  body  and 
soul. 

Oh,  Jupiter,  what  are  all  thy  thunderbolts; 
oh,  Minerva,  what  is  all  wisdom  ;  oh,  Diana, 
what  is  all  thy  pride,  when  compared  to  the 
power  of  the  frail  bow  and  arrow  of  the  little 
blind  love  god  !  When  touched  by  thy  winged 
shaft,  Cupid,  the  strongest,  the  wisest,  the 
proudest  fall  helpless  and  vanquished. 

When  the  morning  of  the  third  day  dawned, 
Lady  Frances  could  endure  the  suspense  no 
longer,  and  she  determined  at  all  costs  to  know 
what  Richmond's  condition  was,  if  he  had  been 
arrested  on  a  charge  of  treason ;  to  see  him  if 
possible,  speak  to  him,  soothe  his  wounded 
spirit,  bring  him  back  to  belief  in  her,  respect 
for  himself,  force  him  to  plead  for  the  king's 
pardon,  and  make  him  once  more  the  Richmond 
she  had  loved,  loved  still — the  star  of  chivalry, 
the  flower  of  manhood,  the  soul  of  honor. 

In  accordance  with  this  idea,  she  muffled  her. 
self  in  a  heavy  cloak  with  a  hood  attached,  and 


212  NELL   G WYNNE. 

thus  proceeded,  alone  and  unattended,  to  Rich- 
mond's house,  which  was  only  a  short  distance 
away.  The  servant  who  answered  her  sum. 
Tnons  informed  her  that  his  master  was  out, 
but  had  left  word  that  he  would  return  at 
twelve  o'clock. 

Richmond  had  not  carried  into  execution  his 
intention  of  joining  the  fleet,  but  had  yielded 
in  this  respect  to  the  pleadings  of  Nell  Gwynne, 
who,  resolved  to  use  all  her  influence  to  obtain 
his  pardon  from  the  king,  had  sought  him  out 
the  morning  after  his  indiscreet  outbreak  and 
had  finally  wrung  from  him  a  promise  to  remain 
in  London  for  at  least  three  days.  Richmond 
was  somewhat  influenced  in  giving  this  promise 
by  the  fact  that  the  ominous  sound  which  had 
so  disturbed  him  in  Spring  Gardens  had  not 
been  repeated  during  the  night,  and  this  au- 
gured well  for  the  success  of  his  countrymen. 
Later,  also,  he  learned  that  the  Dutch  had 
once  more  been  forced  back  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river. 

As  it  wanted  but  a  few  minutes  to  the  stroke 
of  noon  Lady  Frances  asked  the  servant,  to 
whom  she  was  known,  to  show  her  to  the  duke's 
study,  at  the  same  time  warning  him  not  to 
inform  his  master  of  her  presence  there. 

When  she  found  herself  alone  in  the  hand- 
some, though  somewhat  sombrely  furnished 


NELL   TO   THE    RESCUE  !  213 

room,  she  wa?  suddenly  seized  with  a  qualm  of 
something  like  horror  at  the  bold  step  she  had 
taken.  For  the  first  time  it  occurred  to  her  that 
her  action  might  be  misread.  Full  of  nervous 
anxiety  she  paced  up  and  down,  longing  for 
and  yet  dreading  Richmond's  appearance.  How 
slowly  the  seconds  ticked  forth  from  the  tall 
timepiece  in"  the  corner.  Presently  her  eye  fell 
upon  a  carved  desk  which  was  open  and  littered 
with  papers.  Involuntarily  she  approached. 
Before  her  lay  a  packet  of  letters  tied  with  a 
blue  ribbon  and  a  lock  of  hair,  golden  as  the 
ripened  corn.  Her  letters !  and  her  hair  !  How 
well  she  remembered  the  day  she  had  permitted 
him  to  sever  the  soft  curl.  It  was  the  day  he 
had  departed  to  take  command  of  the  Kupert. 
He  had  kept  it  and  her  letters  too !  Perhaps  he 
had  been  reading  them  at  the  very  moment  she 
was  reading  his.  She  snatched  up  the  packet 
and  pressed  it  to  her  lips.  Had  not  his  hand 
touched  it? 

But  what  was  that  noise  outside  ?  A  coach ! 
It  was  he !  She  hurriedly  flung  down  the  let- 
ters and  flew  to  the  window.  Yes,  a  handsome 
carriage  had  stopped  before  the  door.  But  who 
was  this  alighting  ?  Not  the  duke,  but  a  wom- 
an, a  woman  young  and  fair.  Lady  Frances* 
heart  contracted  with  a  spasm  of  jealousy  as 


214  KELL   GKWYNNE. 

she  recognized  her.  What  was  this  actress 
doing  here? 

She  turned  from  the  window  in  despair. 
What  had  that  lackey  said?  That  the  duke 
had  left  word  that  he  would  return  at  twelve 
precisely.  It  was  an  appointment  then.  Oh, 
shame !  shame !  Hark,  there  were  footsteps 
outside.  Great  Heavens !  she  was  coming 
there !  Lady  Frances  Stuart  must  not  be  dis- 
covered in  the  house  of  the  Duke  of  Richmond 
by  this  play  actress.  Was  there  no  escape? 
Like  a  hunted  animal  she  looked  wildly  about 
her  for  some  means  of  escape.  At  'one  end  of 
the  room  was  a  sort  of  alcove,  a  place  that  had 
been  used  as  an  oratory  by  a  former  occupant 
of  the  house,  and  the  duke  on  coming  into  pos- 
session had  not  disturbed  it.  The  altar  with 
its  candles  and  crucifix  was  still  there.  The 
opening  was  draped  with  heavy  velvet  curtains 
which  fell  in  thick  folds  to  the  floor.  Behind 
one  of  these  curtains  Lady  Frances  darted, 
maddened  at  the  thought  that  she  was  compell- 
ed to  conceal  herself,  to  hide  her  head  before 
this  woman  of  the  theatre. 

She  was  not  a  moment  too  soon,  for  scarcely 
was  she  in  hiding,  when  a  blithe  voice  was 
heard,  exclaiming:  "Less  ceremony,  my  good 
man.  I  do  not  need  your  services.  I  can  make 
my  entrance  without  a  call  boy,"  and  fresh, 


NELL  TO   THE    RESCUE  I  215 

bright  and  smiling,  like  a  ray  of  sunshine,  Nell 
Gwynne  burst  into  the  room. 

"Humph!"  she  ejaculated,  as  she  saw  the 
study  was  empty,  "he  is  late.  That  is  scarce- 
ly courteous  of  his  grace." 

She  drew  up  a  chair  by  the  fire  and  ensconc- 
ing herself  within,  prepared  to  make  herself  as 
comfortable  as  possible  during  the  enforced  per. 
iod  of  waiting. 

Lady  Frances  was  on  thorns.  She  did  not 
dare  to  move  for  fear  of  being  discovered,  and 
behind  that  curtain  she  must  remain,  doomed 
perhaps  to  be  an  ear  if  not  an  eye  witness  of  a 
love  scene  between  Richmond  and  another. 

But  there  was  little  of  the  lover  in  Rich- 
mond's tone  and  manner  when  he  finally 
appeared. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  keep  you  waiting,  Nell,"  he 
said  in  a  dull,  heavy  voice. 

Nelly  gave  him  a-  quick  glance.  His  face 
was  pallid  and  wan,  but  he  had  not  been  drink- 
ing, at  least  that  morning. 

"  What  a  solemn  face,"  she  said,  gaily,  "and 
for  the  love  of  the  saints,  man,  don't  call  me 
Nell  in  those  graveyard  tones.  I'm  not  the 
knell  that  summons  thee  to  Heaven  or — ahem  t 
the  region  beneath  the  stage." 

Richmond  sighed  wearily.  He  was  in  no 
mood  for  pleasantry. 


216  NELL   G WYNNE. 

"  I  have  kept  my  word,"  he  said,  flinging 
himself  down  in  a  chair.  "The  three  days 
are  up." 

"You  have  been  a  good  child,"  said  Nell, 
nodding  her  curly  head  approvingly,  "  and  de- 
serve to  be  rewarded.  You  may  follow  your 
own  inclinations  now.  Here,  read  that !  "  and 
drawing  a  paper  from  her  pocket  she  tossed 
it  into  his  lap. 

Richmond  opened  it  mechanically  and  pro- 
ceeded to  obey;  but  as  he  read  on,  and  saw 
that  the  document  was  his  reappointment  as 
commander  of  the  Rupert  in  place  of  Lord 
Buckhurst,  who  had  been  transferred  to  the 
Royal  Monarch,  a  fierce  joy  lighted  up  his 
features. 

"Nell!"  he  cried,  breathlessly. 

"  Ah,  that's  better,"  she  laughed.  "  That's  a 
very  different  sort  of  Nell  from  the  other." 

"  And  you  have  done  this  !  " 

"Ay,  and  that's  not  all,  although  you  don't 
deserve  it.  The  king  has  pardoned  your  silly 
toast  of  the  other  night." 

"The  king?     Does  he  know  of  it  ?" 

"Why,  you  silly,  he  was  there  himself  I  Ha 
had  come  to  Spring  Gardens  in  disguise  and 
heard  every  word.  But  like  the  good,  kind, 
generous  man  he  is,  he  has  consented  to  for- 
give it" 


NELL   TO   THE    RESCUE  !  217 

To  the  woman  listening  eagerly  behind  the 
curtain  this  was  good  news  indeed.  In  spite  of 
her  awkward  position  her  heart  seemed  unbur. 
dened  of  a  heavy  weight.  At  all  events,  that 
danger  was  removed.  To  Richmond  it  meant 
much  less.  He  had  been  in  ignorance  of  the 
king's  knowledge. of  what  had  taken  place  in 
Spring  Gardens,  and,  moreover,  he  was  well 
aware  that  he  had  become  involved  in  a  plot 
which,  if  it  became  known,  would  doom  him 
to  the  scaffold.  Still,  he  was  commander  of 
the  Rupert  once  more,  and  it  would  go  hard 
with  him  if  a  Dutchman's  bullet  did  not  save 
him  from  the  guilt  of  treason  yet.  The  path 
of  honor  was  open  to  him  once  more !  No 
more  plotting  and  conspirators  for  him !  He 
would  die  gloriously,  fighting  for  his  country 
and  the  throne  he  had  signed  a  compact  to 
destroy. 

"  How  can  I  ever  thank  you,"  he  cried  to 
Nell,  his  eyes  on  fire  with  enthusiasm. 

"Repent  and  sin  no  more !"  was  the  solemn 
answer,  delivered  with  all  the  gravity  of  a  dis- 
senting parson. 

Richmond  leaned  over  and  took  her  hand. 

''You  are  a  good  girl  and  I  love  you.'* 

Nell  glanced  up  at  him  demurely  from  under 
her  long  lashes. 

"  Love  !  "  she  repeated,  pursing  up  her  rosy 


218  NELL  GWYNNE. 

lips.  "  I  doubt  if  you  know  how.  He  who 
loves  Nelly  must  not  be  jealous.  I  could  never 
endure  gloomy  eyes  and  a  frowning  brow.  I 
love  sport  too  much  for  that.  Jealousy  is  not 
befitting  a  hero."  She  was  looking  straight  at 
him  now,  and  the  next  words  were  spoken  very 
slowly  and  meaningly.  "  It  drives  him  to  mad 
courses,  drink,  dice,  and  disgraceful  compan- 
ions." 

Richmond  started.  He  was  silent  for  a 
moment,  and  then  he  answered,  the  blood  rising 
slowly  into  his  cheeks  : 

"  Then  you  know  ?  " 

"  Why,  bless  your  soul,  of  course  I  know  I 
All  the  world  knows  that  you  are  eating  out 
your  heart  for  the  sake  of  that  cold  prude, 
La  Belle  Stuart." 

The  duke  winced  ?-  little  at  the  mention  of 
that  name,  and  then  crushing  between  his 
hands  the  paper  which  he  held,  he  exclaimed 
vehemently : 

"  Oh,  cure  me,  Nelly,  no  matter  how !  Teach 
me  to  forget  her,  thinking  of  whom  I  forgot 
myself.  I  have  been  mad,  I  am  mad.  She 
is  destroying  me.  Good,  kind,  honest  Nelly, 
help  me  to  root  out  of  my  heart  her  who  is 
unworthy  of  any  honest  man's  love." 

"Humph!"  said  Nell  meditatively.  "Cure 
you !  Well,  perhaps.  But  before  I  physic  you, 


NELL   TO   THE    RESCUE  I  219 

let  me  know  the  disease  from  which  you  are 
suffering.  So  you  love  the  Stuart  ?  Have 
you  loved  her  long?  Have  you  been  true  to 
her  ?  Odds  bodikins  !  What  a  question  to  ask 
a  man !  Of  course  you  haven't. 

But  Richmond's  tone  was  very  serious  and 
his  expression  very  sad,  as  he  replied  slowly : 

"She  was  the  very  sun  of  my  existence. 
And  now  that  that  sun  has  set,  the  whole  world 
is  dark  for  me  forevermore.  My  love  for  her 
ruled  my  whole  existence.  If  I  have  resisted 
temptation  and  led  a  severe  life,  it  was  that  she 
might  have  no  occasion  to  blush  for  me.  If  I 
have  sought  honor  in  war,  it  was  that  she 
might  be  proud  of  my  achievements.  And  see 
now  to  what  that  love  has  reduced  me.  Com- 
pare what  I  was  once,  when  I  believed  in  her 
as  fanatics  believe  in  their  God,  to  what  I  am 
now — a  rusted  sword,  a  ship  breaking  upon  the 
rocks,  a  duke  drunken  and  worthless." 

Nell  looked  at  him  curiously  and  sighed. 
She  envied  him  for  a  moment  as  she  thought 
half  sadly  that  she  could  never  love  any  one 
enough  to  allow  him  to  make  her  miserable  and 
ruin  her  life. 

"Do  not  think  of  what  you  were,"  she  said 
aloud,  "  nor  of  what  you  are,  but  of  what 
you  might  be  and  what  you  are  not.  Come," 
blithely,  "  if  I  am  to  be  your  physician,  you 


220  NELL   GWYNNE. 

must  tell  me  all  your  symptoms,  and  any  dan- 
ger to  which  you  have  been  exposed.  What 
has  the  fair  lady  done  that  you  should  be  in 
this  terrible  state  of  despair?" 

"  Done ! "  retorted  Richmond,  violently.  "  Is 
she  not  quoted  in  all  mouths  as  the  king's 
favorite,  and " 

He  stopped  abruptly,  for  Nell  had  flushed  to 
the  very  roots  of  her  ruddy  hair,  and  he  sud- 
denly remembered  to  whom  he  was  speaking. 
He  would  have  stammered  forth  some  sort  of 
apology,  but  Nell  stopped  him  with  a  gentle — 

"  Never  mind  me !     Well,  what  besides  ?  " 

"  Seeing  that  I  knew  the  truth,  she  influen- 
ced the  king  to  rob  me  of  my  command,  to  dis- 
grace me  publicly  and  force  me  to  rust  here,  a 
butt  for  the  gibes  and  jests  of  the  idle  court. 
But,"  smoothing  out  the  commission  and  put- 
ting it  carefully  away  in  the  breast  of  his 
doublet,  "thanks  to  you,  sweet  Nelly,  her  plans 
have  come  to  naught." 

"  Ham !     Well,  what  more  ?  " 

"What  more?  "repeated  Richmond,  in  in- 
dignant  surprise.  "What  more?  Is  not  that 
enough?  Her  fair  fame  is  soiled,  her  nature 
is  corrupted  until  she  hates  me  whom  once  she 
loved." 

"  The  saints  preserve  us  !  "  exclaimed  Nell, 
lifting  her  hands  in  mock  dismay,  "  how  fast 


NELL   TO   THE    RESCUE  !  221 

you  run  on.  Now  listen  to  me,"  she  continned 
more  seriously,  "and  let  us  see  if  I  cannot 
knock  a  little  sense  into  that  addlepate  of  yours. 
Oh !  you  men !  you  men !  It  takes  a  woman 
to  understand  another  woman,  and  the  way  to 
do  so  is  to  put  yourself  in  that  other  woman's 
place.  Now  let  us  apply  the  test.  I  am  Lady 
Frances  Stuart,  though  Heaven  knows  even  on 
the  stage  I  never  undertook  so  difficult  a  part. 
You  are  my  lover — well,  I  do  not  so  wholly  dis- 
like that.  The  king  woos  me — ahem!  Now, 
if  I  favor  the  king,  you  are  in  my  way.  So  I 
say  to  the  king:  <  Here's  an  ass  that  loves  me, 
but,  luckily,  he  loves  laurels,  too.  Make  an 
admiral  of  him.  Send  him  to  sea  and  get  him 
handsomely  knocked  on  the  head  ! '  But  say  I 
favor  you " 

"Well,  what  then?"  eagerly  asked  Rich- 
mond,  who  had  followed  attentively  every 
word  she  uttered. 

"  Why,  then,  my  pupil,  I  keep  you  by  my 
side  for  my  own  pleasure  and  thereby  check 
to  the  king." 

"Nelly!" 

"What!  Is  daylight  breaking  in?  Do  you 
realize  at  last  what  an  idiot  you  have  been? 
Oh,  well,  I  forgive  you  for  it.  You  have  had 
no  experience  in  love-making,  and  you  are 
something  of  a  numbskull  in  knowledge  of 


222  NELL  GWYNNE. 

the  sex.  But  that  old  Rowley — and  he  has 
had  enough  experience  with  the  women,  Lord 
knows ! — that  old  Rowley  should  have  been 
gulled  by  her  into  taking  away  your  command, 
that  does  amaze  me.  Well,  it's  lucky  for  you 
both  that  I  am  not  a  man.  I  would  have  whip, 
ped  her  away  from  under  your  very  noses,  you 
pair  of  nincompoops  !  " 

While  she  was  speaking  Richmond's  face  be- 
came transfigured,  and,  as  she  ended  with  a 
burst  of  musical  laughter,  such  a  light  shone 
upon  it  as  might  irradiate  the  features  of  one 
who,  after  suffering  the  tortures  of  hell,  saw 
the  gates  of  Paradise  suddenly  open  before 
him. 

"  Nelly ! "  he  gasped  once  again,  unable  to 
say  more  in  the  turmoil  into  which  this  revul- 
sion of  feeling  had  plunged  him. 

"  Oh,  you  really  believe  now  that  your  judg- 
ment is  not  as  infallible  as  you  thought,"  said 
Nell,  with  gentle  satire.  "Yes,  almost  any- 
thing is  possible,  even  what  is  most  unlikely. 
The  skies  may  rain  Burgundy,  for  instance, 
Portsmouth  may  turn  virtuous  or  Nell  Gwynne 
become  a  Puritan.  All  these  things  may  hap- 
pen, but  one  thing  is  certain — the  woman  who 
clipped  your  wings  to  keep  you  by  her  side 
loves  you.  There  is  no  doubt  about  that !  " 

Richmond   leaped    impulsively    to   his    feet. 


NELL   TO   THE    RESCUE  !  223 

The  old  fire  had  returned  to  his  eyes,  the  old 
ring  of  hope  and  joy  was  in  his  voice.  He  was 
himself  once  more,  the  noble,  honorable  gentle- 
man. The  unworthy  role  of  drunkard  and 
gambler  was  cast  from  him  forever. 

Another  good  action  to  be  recorded  in  your 
name,  Nelly,  to  counterbalance  the  errors  that 
were  more  the  fault  of  the  age  than  of  your 
own  sunny  nature. 

"  May  Heaven  bless  you  for  what  you  have 
done  to  me  to-day,"  exclaimed  Richmond  fer- 
vently, and  his  words  found  an  echo  in  the 
heart  of  her  who,  pale  and  trembling,  stood 
concealed  behind  the  curtain  only  a  few  steps 
away.  "  What  foul  fiend  led  me  to  be  so  blind, 
and  not  to  see  the  truth.  Your  words  have 
carried  conviction  to  my  brain  and  heart.  You 
have  taught  me  a  lesson.  I  believe  in  her  !  I 
love  her  once  again !  " 

But,  although  his  great  grief  had  disappeared 
thus  as  if  by  magic,  the  consequences  of  his 
folly  remained  to  be  met.  There  still  lurked 
one  drop  of  poison  in  the  cup  of  his  joy. 

Even  as  he  was  exulting  in  his  recovered  hap- 
piness, a  servant  entered  with  a  note  which  was 
to  call  him  down  to  the  earth  again. 

"  This  from  the  Duke  of  .Buckingham,  your 
grace/' 

Richmond  started.     He  had  forgotten  for  the 


224  NELL   GWTNNE. 

moment  the  plot  to  which  he  had  so  foolishly 
pledged  himself.  Oh !  what  a  triple  idiot  he 
had  been ! 

With  a  frown  and  an  impatient  gesture  he 
took  the  note.  Upon  the  outside  was  written : 
Haste,  post  haste,  and  inside  were  these  words  : 
Your  lackey  tells  me  you  are  engaged.  I  await 
you  below.  Come  to  me  on  the  instant.  Our 
sky  clouds. — Warehawk.  Richmond  tore  the 
paper  into  fragments  and  cast  them  into  the 
fire.  A  conspirator!  Oh,  why  did  he  ever 
plot?  But  now  that  his  sweetheart  was  true, 
he  would  engage  no  further  in  the  desperate 
business.  He  would  see  Buckingham  and  tell 
him  so. 

"  Your  pardon,  sweet  mistress,"  he  said,  turn- 
ing to  Nell,  who  had  been  watching  him  nar- 
rowly, and  wondering  what  could  be  in  that 
note  that  had  caused  such  a  change  in  his 
demeanour.  "Your  pardon,  but  the  Duke  of 
Buckingham  awaits  me.  I  must  see  him, 
but " 

"  But  you  would  come  back  and  talk  further 
of  La  Belle,"  interrupted  Nell,  anticipating  his 
thought.  "  Shall  I  await  your  return  ?  " 

"Pray  do.     It  would  be  a  crowning  charity." 

Left  alone,  Nell  rose  and  leaning  one  rounded 
elbow  upon  the  carved  mantel  gazed  down  into 
the  fire.  The  blazing  logs  upon  the  andiron* 


NELL   TO   THE   RESCUE  !  225 

cast  a  ruddy  glow  upon  her,  making  her 
auburn  locks  shine  like  burnished  copper. 

"  I've  lifted  twenty  years  off  that  man's 
head,"  she  thought. 

And  she,  the  other  woman,  her  haughty 
ladyship  !  Ah !  she  would  never  know  how 
much  she  owed  to  the  greatest  coquette  in 
London.  But  if  any  one  should  tell  her  of 
it,  what  would  she  think  of  it  ?  How  would 
she  act  ?  And  with  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
glowing  embers  Nell  fancied  she  could  see 
her  now,  as  with  her  queenly  figure  drawn  up 
to  its  fullest  extent,  she  extended  coldly  her 
white  fingers,  saying  :  "  Here  is  your  reward. 
You  may  kiss  the  Stuart's  hand." 

And  then 

"Mistress  Gwynne ! "  fell  in  low,  faint 
accents  upon  her  ears. 

Nell,  with  a  start,  turned  toward  the  place 
whence  the  voice  seemed  to  proceed. 

Was  she  dreaming?  There  before  her  stood 
the  very  woman  of  whom  she  had  been  think, 
ing,  but  different,  oh,  so  different  to  what  she 
had  pictured  her.  There  was  no  pride  in  that 
humbly  bowed  head,  no  haughtiness  in  those 
white,  tear-stained  cheeks,  no  coldness  in  those 
trembling  accents. 

Nell's  eyes  grew  round  in  amazement. 

15 


1STELL   GWYNNE. 

"The  Stuart ! "  she  murmured.  "  The  Stuart, 
or — or  her  ghost !" 

"It  is  I,"  came  in  faltering  accents.  "I, 
Frances  Stuart.  I  was  behind  that  curtain." 

In  an  instant  Nell  was  herself  again.  She 
realized  that  startling  as  the  apparition  was,  it 
was  flesh  and  blood  she  had  to  deal  with,  and 
no  spirit.  So,  Lady  Frances  had  been  behind 
the  curtain !  Why,  what  the  plague !  Then 
she  must  have  heard  all. 

"What!"  and  the  tone  and  manner  were 
quite  calm  and  composed.  "  Did  you  hide 
yourself  to  listen?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  madam,"  replied  Lady  Frances, 
simply,  raising  her  great  liquid  eyes,  in  which 
there  trembled  something  suspiciously  like  a 
tear.  "  I  was  awaiting  my  lord,  when  you  came, 
and,  fearing  that  you  would  expose  me,  I  hid." 
And  then,  after  a  pause,  very  softly:  "I  did 
not  know  you  then." 

There  was  something  inexpressibly  touching 
in  the  gentleness  of  this  queenly  woman,  who, 
from  her  stately  dignity,  had  won  at  court  the 
epithet  of  the  frozen,  and  Nell's  tender  heart 
melted  at  once. 

"Well,  Lady  Frances,"  she  said,  with  a  gulp, 
and  an  attempt  at  a  laugh,  which  was  like  the 
ghost  of  Nell  Gwynne's  usual  ringing  laugh, 
"for  once  the  proverb  has  proved  false,  you 


NELL  TO   THE    RESCUE  !  227 

listened  and  heard  some  good  of  yourself.  Well 
— well,  the  best  I  can  do  now  is  to  call  ray 
coach  and  leave  you  to  the  duke." 

But  Lady  Frances  moved  a  step  or  two 
nearer,  and  with  a  slight  gesture  of  protest, 
said  reproachfully: 

"  What,  before  I  have  said  one  word  to  you  ?  " 

For  once  in  her  life,  Nell  Gwynne,  with  all  her 
readiness  and  wit,  was  at  a  loss  what  to  say  or 
what  to  do.  She  would  have  had  no  difficulty 
had  Lady  Frances  behaved  as  she  had  pictured 
her  doing.  She  could  have  met  coldness  with 
coldness,  arrogance  with  arrogance,  for,  when 
she  chose,  Nell  could  play  the  disdainful  lady  of 
quality  with  the  best  of  them,  but  before  this 
sweetness  and  gentleness  she  was  entirely  dis- 
concerted. 

"Ah,  I  understand,"  said  Lady  Frances, 
sadly,  as  Nell  remained  persistently  silent. 
"You  think  that  I  am  ungrateful.  You  have 
heard  that  I  am  cold;  yes,  I  am  cold  to  the 
false-hearted,  Mistress  Gwynne.  I  live  in  a 
court,  where  truth  is  unknown.  But  you  have 
showed  me  this  day  that  there  was  a  generous, 
an  honest  heart  not  a  stone's  throw  from 
Whitehall.  What,  you  turn  away  from  me  ? 
You  lay  me  under  so  huge  a  debt  and  will  not 
let  me  thank  you  ?  That  is  unkind — that  is 
unlike  you." 


228  NELL   GWYNISTE. 

"Why,"  murmured  Nell,  too  astonished  to  be 
conscious  of  what  she  was  saying,  "why,  it  is 
a  woman  like  myself !" 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  replied  Lady  Frances  heart- 
ily. "And  what  would  you  do  if  I  had  ren- 
dered you  such  a  service  as  you  have  rendered 
me  to-day?" 

At  this  question,  in  spite  of  her  emotion,  Nell 
took  heart  o'  grace  and  managed  to  answer, 
with  what  was  after  all  a  poor  attempt  at  merry 
bravado : 

"What  would  I  do?  Something,  I'll  be 
sworn,  that  Lady  Frances  Stuart  would  never 
do." 

"Well,  what?" 

"Faith,  I  should  take  the  impudent  jade 
round  the  neck  and  give  her  two  great  smacks 
on  each  cheek,  ha !  ha !  ha  !  " 

Lady  Frances,  with  her  lips  smiling,  but  with 
the  great  tears  trembling  on  her  lashes,  advan- 
ced, and  throwing  her  arms  around  Nell,  who 
could  scarce  believe  the  evidence  of  her  senses, 
kissed  her  warmly,  not  only  on  the  cheek,  but 
on  the  lips  as  well.  Then,  overcome  by  all  the 
varied  emotions  she  had  gone  through,  the  poor 
lady  broke  down  and,  clinging  to  her  compan- 
ion, wept  convulsively. 

"  Don't  cry  !  Don't  cry !  "  But  Nell,  by  this 
time,  was  whimpering  too.  "There's  nothing 


NELL   TO   THE    RESCUE  !  229 

to  cry  about,  save  that  I  am  not  worthy  of  your 
kisses.  Let  me  go!  You  forget  who  I  am?" 

But  Lady  Frances  only  embraced  her  more 
closely,  and  said,  chokingly  : 

"  Husk  !  Hush !  I  won't  hear  a  word  against 
you  even  from  yourself  1 " 

"  Dear  lady,  I  love  you/'"  murmured  Nell, 
with  a  pathetic  break  in  her  sweet  voice.  "  I 
would  die  to  serve  you  ! " 

And  sobbing  together  the  two  women  lay  in 
one  another's  arms — the  maid  of  honor,  with 
the  proudest  blood  of  the  kingdom  in  her  veins, 
and  the  child  of  the  streets,  with  no  blood  at  all 
to  boast  of. 

And  so  Richmond  found  them  when  he  re- 
turned from  his  interview  with  Buckingham. 
As  Nell  caught  sight  of  him  she  attempted  to 
release  herself,  but  Lady  Frances  caught  her 
firmly  by  the  hand,  and,  with  her  lovely  face 
still  wet  with  tears,  turned  toward  the  duke, 
who  stood  mute  and  motionless  with  bewilder- 
ment. 

"Yes,  it  is  I !  "  and  at  the  sound  of  the  voice 
he  loved  so  well,  Richmond  started  as  if  sud- 
denly awakened  into  life.  "I  was  trying  to 
find  words  to  thank  this  good  heart,  but  could 
not  succeed.  Oh !  forgive  me,  Richmond,  as  I 
forgive  you.  How  we  have  misunderstood 
each  other." 


230  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"  My  own  noble  Frances ! "  exclaimed  Rich- 
mond, passionately.  "You  ask  me  to  forgive 
you — me,  an  infidel,  who  doubted  the  sun  be- 
cause a  cloud  came  between  me  and  its  glori- 
ous presence.  I " 

"Nay,  it  is  I  who  am  most  to  blame.  To 
shield  my  lover,  I  stooped  to  deceive  the  king, 
and  I  did  not  deceive  the  king  and  I  did  my 
lover.  Hereafter,  Frances  Stuart  walks  in  the 
one  safe  path,  the  path  of  truth." 

"  And  I  will  prove  my  penitence  by  a  life  of 
trust  and  devotion." 

He  opened  his  arms  and  in  another  moment 
Frances  was  folded  close  to  his  breast.  As 
heart  thus  beat  against  heart,  all  suspicion,  all 
doubt  vanished  like  mist  before  the  morning 
sun.  They  knew  each  other  now,  and  once  to 
know  was  to  know  forever. 

After  the  first  transports  of  the  reunion  had 
subsided,  Richmond  said  to  Nell,  who  was  fur- 
tively wiping  her  eyes : 

"  May  Heaven  forever  bless  you  for  what  you 
have  done.  We  can  never  thank  you." 

"  No,  that  we  can't,"  added  Frances,  warmly. 
"  I  shall  never  forget  in  the  happy  future  what 
I  owe  to  Mistress  Gwynne." 

The  happy  future !  As  Richmond  heard  these 
words,  he  suddenly  remembered  the  danger  that 
was  hanging  over  his  head.  Buckingham  had 


NELL   TO   THE    RESCUE  !  231 

come  to  tell  him  that  a  meeting  was  to  be  held 
that  very  night,  when  the  time  for  the  uprising^ 
would  be  fixed. 

"  Madman  that  I  was ! "  he  muttered.  "  Cur- 
ses on  my  hot  head  !  " 

Lady  Frances  overheard  the  exclamation,  but 
of  course  she  did  not  attribute  the  words  to 
their  real  cause. 

"  Nay,  Richmond,"  she  said,  hopefully,  "  for- 
get the  past.  Look  forward  to  the  future, 
which  seems  so  bright,  so  beautiful." 

"  Heaven  grant  it  may  be  so ! "  sighed  the 
duke.  And  then,  encircling  with  his  arm  the 
slender  waist  of  his  betrothed,  he  added  wist- 
fully and  with  exceeding  tenderness  :  "  It  is 
not  for  myself  I  am  anxious,  but  for  you,  my 
precious  one,  for  you." 

At  this — and  perhaps  aided  by  something  she 
saw  out  of  the  window,  through  which  she  had 
been  gazing — Nell's  brow,  which  for  the  last 
moment  or  two  had  been  puckered  as  if  in  deep 
thought,  suddenly  smoothed  itself  out,  and  clap- 
ping her  hands  together  the  fair  actress  ex- 
claimed exultantly : 

"  I  have  it !  He  is  right,  your  ladyship,  you 
are  in  danger,  but  be  ruled  by  me,  and  I'll  set 
you  out  of  shot  of  the  king.  You  must  promise 
to  obey  me,  though,  both  of  you ! " 


232  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"You  have  a  right  to  my  obedience,"  said 
Lady  Frances,  with  a  smile. 

"And  a  still  greater  one  to  mine." 

Nelly's  cheeks  were  flushed  and  her  eyes 
were  dancing  with  excitement. 

"  Then  you  will  be  ruled  by  poor  little  Nelly, 
great  folks,  upon  your  honor  ?  " 

"  Upon  our  honor !  " 

"  Then,  upon  my  honor,  ere  the  day  is  ten 
minutes  older  you  shall  be  married  !  Ay,  mar- 
ried, as  fast  as  priest  and  book  can  make  you ! " 


CHAPTER  XII. 

HER   GRACE   OF    RICHMOND. 

AT  this  astounding  declaration  Lady  Fran- 
ces flushed  scarlet,  and  the  duke  stared 
in  blank  amazement  at  Nell,  who  only  laughed 
and  nodded  her  curly  head  vehemently. 

"  My  own,  we  have  promised  to  obey,"  said 
Richmond,  when  he  had  recovered  a  little  from 
his  astonishment,  and  finding  the  proposition, 
startling  as  it  was,  decidedly  to  his  liking. 

"  Married ! "  stammered.  Lady  Frances. 
"  Now !  Impossible ! " 

"Impossible!"  echoed  Nell,  merrily.  "Try 
it !  You'll  find  it  easier  to  tie  the  knot  than  to 
undo  it.'* 

"Consent,  Frances,"  pleaded  Richmond, 
"  and  make  me  the  happiest  man  in  the 
world." 

"  It  is  too  sudden." 

"  Would  you  sacrifice  his  happiness  ?  "  asked 
Nell.  "  I  am  quite  serious.  It  is  the  only  way 
to  avoid  unpleasantness  of  all  sorts.  Your  hus- 
band can  defend  you,  where  your  lover  is 

233 


234  NELL   GWYNNE. 

powerless.  No !  No  !  your  ladyship,  you  have 
given  me  your  word  of  honor  and  I  shall  hold 
you  to  it." 

But  still  Lady  Frances  protested.  Such 
haste  was  unheard  of,  unseemly.  Besides, 
there  was  no  one  to  stand  by  her,  no  one  to 
give  her  away,  no  witnesses,  no  clergyman. 

"I'll  find  them  all,"  declared  Nell,  boldly; 
"  any  sober  gentleman  will  serve  to  play  the 
part  of  a  father." 

As  she  spoke,  she  ran  back  to  the  window,  and 
looking  out,  exclaimed  with  an  affected  start, 
just  as  if  the  artful  minx  had  not  known  it  all 
the  time : 

"Why,  there  is  good  Master  Pepys  and  his 
modest  brother.  How  fortunate !  Just  in  the 
nick  of  time !  They  will  answer  admirably." 

She  threw  open  the  casement,  and,  thrusting 
out  her  head,  called  and  beckoned  Pepys  to 
come  up. 

Although  greatly  surprised  at  the  summons, 
Pepys  signified  his  intention  of  obeying,  and  as 
soon  as  she  saw  the  secretary  and  his  brother 
entering  the  house,  Nell  withdrew  her  head  and 
returned  to  the  duke  and  Lady  Frances. 

The  latter  was  greatly  perturbed,  and  the 
duke  was  attempting  to  calm  her  and  persuade 
her  to  agree  to  Nell's  proposal. 

"I  am  thoroughly  convinced,"  he  was  say- 


HER   GRACE   OF    RICHMOND.  235 

ing,  « that  it  will  be  the  best  thing  for  us  all. 
Mistress  Gwynne  is  right.  I  must  be  in  a  posi- 
tion where  I  can  defend  you  against  unwelcome 
suitors  and  evil  tongues." 

"Of  course  I  am  right,"  broke  in  Nell,  decid- 
edly. "  What,  are  you  still  obdurate  ?  Oh  !  for 
shame,  Lady  Frances,  when  you  promised  so 
solemnly  to  obey  me.  And  I  am  sure  this  poor 
fellow  has  suffered  enough  to  deserve  some  re- 
compense. Tilly-vally,  you  mean  to  marry  him 
some  day.  So,  why  not  to-day  as  well  as  any 
other?" 

After  a  little  more  reasoning  by  Nell  and  a 
little  more  pleading  by  the  duke,  who,  as  was 
but  natural,  was  even  more  eager  to  obtain  the 
lady's  consent,  Lady  Frances  reluctantly  agreed, 
provided  that  a  proper  clergyman  could  be 
found  and  that  the  marriage  be  kept  secret  for 
a  time. 

The  duke  was  radiant  with  delight. 

"Nelly,  you've  a  heart  of  gold!"  he  ex- 
claimed enthusiastically. 

"  Heart  of  a  fiddle ! "  retorted  Nell,  flippantly. 
"But  here  is  my  smug-faced  Samuel.  Leave 
me  to  manage  him.  Away  with  you  to  the 
other  end  of  the  room.  And  stand  firm,  your 
grace !  Don't  let  her  change  her  mind,  though 
to  do  so  is  a  prerogative  of  my  sex  that  I  have 
always  advocated." 


236  NELL   GWY1STNE. 

"Have  no  fear,"  replied  Richmond,  as  he 
obeyed  and  led  the  blushing  Lady  Frances  over 
toward  the  curtained  alcove. 

In  another  moment  a  servant  appeared. 

"  Master  Samuel  Pepys  is  without,  your 
grace,"  said  the  man  awkwardly,  as  if  he  were 
not  quite  sure  whether  he  had  done  right  to 
make  the  announcement  or  not.  "He  says 
that  the — the  lady  called  him  from  the  win- 
dow." 

"Show  him  up,  fellow,"  commanded  Nell, 
assuming  her  grandest  manner. 

The  man  stared,  bowed  and  disappeared. 
What  could  be  the  meaning  of  all  this  ?  That 
his  staid  master,  who  detested  the  sight  of  a 
petticoat,  should  receive  visits  from  two  ladies 
on  the  same  day  was  bad  enough,  but  that  he 
should  allow  one  of  them,  and  that  one  a  play- 
actress,  to  give  his  servants  orders  was  worse, 
much  worse.  He  would  leave  the  duke's  em- 
ploy to-morrow. 

"You  called,  fair  Nell?"  began  Pepys  as  he 
entered  the  room  with  his  usual  pompous  air. 
And  then,  as  he  caught  sight  of  the  two  other 
occupants  of  the  apartment,  who  were  in  suspi- 
ciously close  proximity,  his  round  face  grew  full 
of  wonderment.  With  his  keen  scent  for  gos- 
sip and  scandal,  he  felt  that  there  was  some 
mystery  here  which  it  behooved  him  to  discover. 


HER   GRACE    OF    RICHMOND.  237 

"The  duke  and  Lady  Frances  Stuart  to- 
gether ! "  he  said,  turning  to  Nell,  who  had  read 
his  thoughts  as  easily  as  if  he  had  given  them 
utterance,  and  who  kept  a  tantalizing  silence. 

"  Strange !  very  strange,"  he  went  on  as  Nell 
did  not  seem  inclined  immediately  to  enlighten 
him.  "After  the  affront  put  upon  him  at  the 
instance  of  the  fair  lady,  I  scarce  expected  to 
find  the  duke  in  such  close  converse  with  her. 
Indeed,  as  our  sweet  Will  says,  «'Tis  strange, 
'tis  passing  strange.' " 

"There  are  stranger  things  yet  for  you  to 
learn,  my  dear  Samuel,"  said  Nell.  And  then, 
as  Pepys  pricked  up  his  ears,  she  added  abruptly 
and  without  further  preamble:  "This  lady  is 
to  marry  that  gentleman  and  you  are  to  give 
her  away." 

"Indeed,  'tis  a  merry  thing,"  said  Pepys, 
chuckling  feebly.  "  Ever  at  your  jests." 

"I  am  not  jesting  now,  Master  Pepys,"  re- 
plied Nell,  severely.  "  Indeed,  it  is  the  truth. 
Lady  Frances  Stuart  is  to  become  her  grace  of 
Richmond  here,  now,  without  delay,  and  as  you 
are  the  most  convenient  man  for  the  purpose, 
you  are  to  act  as  father  in  the  ceremony." 

"Nell!"  he  cried,  in  open  mouthed  amaze- 
ment. 

"  Oh  I  Nell  me  no  Nells  1     But  prepare  to  be 


238  NELL   GWYNNE. 

useful  and  do  a  good  action  for  once  in  your 
life." 

"  Im — possible." 

And  the  wily,  politic  Samuel  was  really 
shocked  at  such  a  proposition  being  made  to 
him.  What,  give  Tier  away,  and  to  the  duke  of 
Richmond,  a  nobleman  who  was  in  disgrace  at 
court?  Preposterous!  His  majesty's  ward  and 
a  maid  of  honor  was  not  to  be  given  away  like 
a  bona  roba  at  a  Fleet  marriage. 

It  was  in  vain  that  Nell  by  turns  cajoled,  flat- 
tered and  threatened.  He  was  firm  in  his  re- 
fusal. He  had  his  own  advancement  to  think 
about,  and,  although  Nelly's  influence  with  the 
king  was  great,  he  was  confident  that  his  maj- 
esty would  never  forgive  one  who  should  play 
the  part  of  father  at  a  secret  marriage  of  La 
Belle  Stuart. 

"  I  will  take  no  part  in  such  mad  doings,"  he 
reiterated  with  determination. 

Nell  was  at  her  wits'  ends.  She  was  prepar^ 
ing  to  storm  at  him  in  true  Billingsgate  style, 
when  suddenly  there  popped  into  her  head  a 
recollection  of  the  leaves  she  had  torn  from  his 
journal  the  night  they  had  supped  together  at 
Lord  Buckhurst's.  If  she  but  had  them  now. 
Stay !  This  was  the  same  petticoat  she  had 
worn  that  evening.  She  clapped  her  hand  to 
her  pocket  and  was  rewarded  by  the  crackle  of 


HER   GRACE   OF    RICHMOND.  239 

paper.  She  remembered  now.  She  had  read 
them  through  on  her  return  to  her  lodgings 
(she  smiled  as  she  recalled  what  pretty  read- 
ing it  was)  and  had  then  returned  them  to  her 
pocket  for  safe-keeping.  Ah !  here  was  a 
weapon  that  would  force  the  perverse  Samuel 
to  dance  to  her  piping. 

"  You  will  take  no  part  in  such  mad  doings  ?  " 
she  repeated,  rejoicing  to  think  of  his  speedy 
•discomfiture.  "  Ah,  say  you  so?  " 

"Nay,  more,'*  boldly  replied  Pepys,  whose 
fertile  brain  had  conceived  a  scheme  for  earn- 
ing the  royal  gratitude.  "  The  king  shall  know 
of  this." 

Nell  slowly,  very  slowly,  drew  out  the  papers 
and  held  them  before  the  astonished  and  then 
alarmed  eyes  of  the  worthy  secretary.  He  rec- 
ognized at  once  the  leaves  of  his  diary,  which 
he  had  already  missed  and  to  his  great  discom- 
fort of  mind,  for  he  could  only  conjecture  what 
compromising  statements  they  might  contain. 

Involuntarily  he  stretched  out  his  hand  to  re- 
cover them,  but  Nell  was  too  quick  for  him.  In 
a  trice  she  whipped  the  leaves  out  of  his  reach. 

"Not  so  fast,  my  good  Samuel,  not  so  fast," 
she  exclaimed,  triumphantly.  "  Stand  farther 
off!  Nay,  farther  still!  There,  that  will  do. 
I  want  you  to  be  near  enough  to  hear,  although 


240  NELL   GWYNNE. 

I  know  your  ears  are  trained  to  distinguish 
words  at  a  great  distance." 

With  the  most  irritating  leisure,  she  smoothed 
out  the  papers  and  then,  with  a  sweetness  quite 
as  exasperating  to  the  anxious  Samuel,  she 
said: 

"  So,  my  good  man,  did  you  say  the  king 
should  know  of  this  ?  Very  well,  then  the  king 
shall  know  of  this,  also.  Listen  !  To  Whitehall 

and  there  in  the  matted  gallery  m-m-m .     But, 

Lord,  to  see  how  the  poor  shallow  king  is  fooled 
of  them  all,  and  what  small  respect  he  hath  of 
himself 

"  Nay,  Mistress  Nelly,"  protested  Pepys,  nerv- 
ously glancing  about  with  a  fear  that  some  one 
might  have  overheard. 

"And  has  grown  of  late,  methinks,  marvel- 
lous ill-favored.  His  majesty  will  relish  this." 

Poor  Pepys'  teeth  were  absolutely  chattering 
now.  He  realized  fully  the  mischief  such  words 
could  make.  If  the  jade  made  public  use  of 
the  leaves,  farewell  to  all  his  hopes  of  greatness. 
There  was  nothing  for  him  but  to  retire  to  the 
country  and  cultivate  cabbages.  His  occupa- 
tion at  court  and  in  the  public  offices  would  be 
gone. 

"  Prythee,  for  mercy's  sake,"  he  faltered. 

But  with  deliberate  cruelty  his  tormentress 
paid  not  the  slightest  attention  to  his  prayer, 


HER   GRACE   OF   RICHMOND.  241 

but,  turning  over  a  leaf  or  two,  proceeded  ruth- 
lessly with  her  reading : 

"  Thence  to  the  Mulberry  garden  with  Knipp, 
telling  my  wife,  poor  wretch!  that  I  had  busi- 
ness in  the  office.  Mrs.  Pepys  will  like  that!" 

Oh,  the  world  of  derisive  emphasis  she  thre\f 
into  those  last  words.  Nelly  was  enjoying  her- 
self thoroughly.  Every  writhe  of  the  indis 
creet  diarist  made  her  quiver  with  delight. 
This  was  more  sport  than  any  comedy  she  had 
ever  acted  in. 

"Ah!  here's  admirable  reading  for  his  high- 
ness :  The  Duke  of  York " 

But  Pepys  could  endure  no  more.  He  was  in 
the  position  of  the  frogs  in  the  story,  and  he 
hastened  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  stones  as 
soon  as  possible.  In  other  words,  he  capitu- 
lated bag  and  baggage,  leaving  the  cunning 
actress  complete  mistress  of  the  situation. 

"  Nay,  nay,  sweet  Mistress  Gwynne,  hold ! " 
he  entreated  piteously.  "  I  pray  you,  no  more. 
Give  me  those  leaves  and  I  will  do  your  bidding 
in  all  things." 

He  was  answered  by  a  peal  of  silvery  laugh- 
ter, a  sort  of  lo  triumphe,  as  Nell  waved  the 
papers  victoriously  above  her  head. 

*«So  be  it  then,"  she  cried  gaily.  "Do  my 
bidding  and  with  a  good  grace.  Tell  the  duke 
you  will  act  as  his  prospective  father-in-law." 


242  NELL   GWYNNE. 

Pepys  advanced  to  Richmond,  with  rage  in 
his  heart.  Surely  this  wicked  actress  was  his 
evil  genius.  She  was  forever  getting  him  into 
scrapes.  But  he  put  the  best  face  upon  the 
matter  he  could,  and  saluting  the  duke  and 
Lady  Frances,  he  announced,  as  if  he  found  it 
the  most  delightful  office  imaginable : 

"Fair  lady,  my  good  lord,  I  esteem  myself 
most  happy  to. be  thus  trusted;  dispose  of  my 
poor  self  as  you  will." 

"I  thank  you,  Master  Pepys,"  replied  the 
duke,  pleasantly,  "and  shall  not  forget  the 
service  you  thus  render  me." 

There  was  not  much  balm  in  this  for  Pepys' 
wounded  spirit.  The  duke's  influence  at  the 
present  moment  was  nil,  and,  when  the  mar- 
riage he  was  about  to  make  became  known,  it 
was  not  likely  to  be  increased.  Politic  Samuel 
had  but  little  sympathy  for  fallen  greatness- 
His  thoughts  were  all  for  those  who  basked  in 
the  sunshine  of  success. 

"But  the  clergyman?"  suggested  Richmond, 
addressing  Nell,  who  had  followed  Pepys  to  see 
how  well  he  obeyed  her  commands. 

Nell  flashed  a  quick  glance  at  her  victim. 

"  Master  Pepys,  call  brother  John ! "  she 
ordered  in  a  tone  of  authority  that  would  not 
be  denied.  "Oh!  no  evasions,  please.  They 


HER   GRACE   OF    RICHMOND.  243" 

would  be  quite  useless.  I  know  he  is  outside. 
I  saw  him !  " 

Pepys  hesitated. 

«'  Alack -a-day ! "  he  complained.  "  If  the  king 
conies  to  know  of  it,  the  boy  will  be  ruined." 

Nell  plucked  his  sleeve,  and,  with  a  grimace 
of  malicious  glee,  drew  him  a  little  aside. 
Then,  in  a  voice  low,  but  painfully  distinct  to 
the  unfortunate  man's  tortured  ears,  she  read 
again  from  the  journal : 

"  At  the  office,  counting  of  my  gains  from  the 
last  prizes.  The  Lord  forgive  me  !  " 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  He  was  caught 
firmly  in  the  toils,  and  must  yield  again. 

"  My  brother  waits  without,  and  will  be  hon- 
ored by  this  trust,"  he  said  to  Richmond  and 
hurried  away  to  bring  the  young  clergyman,, 
thinking  gloomily  to  himself,  "He's  a  ruined 
youth." 

As  the  door  closed  behind  him,  Nell  gave  full 
vent  to  her  merriment,  in  which  Richmond  and 
Frances,  in  spite  of  the  serious  ceremony  they 
were  about  to  take  part  in,  could  not  help 
joining. 

"  My  poor,  dear  Samuel,"  she  laughed.  "  how 
you  must  hate  your  pretty  Nelly  now !  " 

Now  poor,  dear  Samuel,  in  spite  of  his 
inward  tremors,  was  not  the  man  to  betray  his 
humilation  and  fears  to  the  innocent  country- 


244  NELL   GWYNNE. 

bred  youth  who  looked  upon  his  elder  brother 
with  a  respect  that  was  akin  to  awe. 

"  It  is  a  great  honor  for  you,  John,"  he  said, 
impressively,  after  he  had  informed  the  young 
man  of  what  was  required  of  him,  "Imagine 
it!  You  are  to  unite  a  duke  and  a  maid  of 
honor.  It  means  great  advancement  for  you, 
great  advancement.  And  you  owe  i  j  all  to  me, 
don't  forget  that,  John,  all  to  me." 

So  it  was  with  the  deepest  gratitude  and 
delight  that  the  blushing  youth  appeared  before 
the  distinguished  couple  he  was  to  have  the 
honor  of  joining  in  the  bonds  of  holy  matri- 
mony. 

"Reverend  sir,"  said  Nell,  becoming,  sud- 
denly serious,  "has  my  good  friend,  your 
brother,  informed  you  that  you  are  to  marry 
this  gentleman  to  this  lady?" 

"Yes,  madam,"  replied  John,  modestly  cast- 
ing down  his  eyes,  "  and  I  will  bind  them  as 
fast  as  e'er  a  bishop  in  the  land.  I  have  the 
rubric  in  my  pocket." 

His  quiet,  unassuming  manner  quite  won 
Nell's  heart,  and  she  thereupon  registered  a 
vow  that  no  harm  should  come  to  him  for  his 
share  in  that  day's  work,  if  she  could  help  it. 

While  she  was  thinking  this,  Samuel  whis- 
pered eagerly  in  her  ear : 

"Now,  give  me  the  leaves." 


HER   GRACE   OF    RICHMOND.  245 

But  he  reckoned  without  his  host  if  he 
thought  for  a  moment  that  his  cunning  antag- 
onist was  to  be  caught  in  such  a  trap  as  that. 
She  knew  the  old  fox  too  well ;  so  his  demand 
met  with  a  peremptory  refusal. 

"What!  Before  the  knot  is  tied.  Oh! 
no ! " 

Pepys  sighed  dolefully.  There  was  no 
escape.  But  nevertheless,  he  managed  to  say 
to  his  brother : 

"John,  you  are  marvellously  favored  in  this. 
Remember  that  it  is  all  my  doing." 

"  I  am  deeply  bound  en  to  you,  brother,'"  was 
the  fervid  response. 

«  Now,  then,  in  with  you,  father  and  priest," 
cried  Nell,  cheerily,  holding  back  the  curtain 
for  the  two  Pepyses  to  pass  into  the  oratory. 
Then,  turning  to  the  bride  and  groom,  she 
motioned  them  to  follow,  saying :  "I  will  re- 
main here  and  be  your  sentinel." 

With  a  face  radiant  with  happiness,  Rich- 
mond held  out  his  hand  to  Frances. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  his  voice  tremulous  with 
the  emotion  lie  could  not  wholly  repress.  "Oh, 
my  beloved,  was  ever  man  so  happy  as  I? 
And  yet,  perhaps  I  ought  to  bid  you  pause^ 
reflect,  ere  you  take  this  step.  But  how  can  I, 
Heaven  help  me  !  how  can  I !  " 

With  one   long  look  in   which   there  was  a 


546  NELL   G WYNNE. 

world  of  the  deepest  love,  the  most  perfect  con- 
fidence, Lady  Frances  laid  her  hand  in  his. 

<'  It  were  in  vain  if  you  did,"  she  said  firmly. 
•"  I  would  not  desert  you  now.  The  hand  that 
now  takes  yours  throws  down  defiance  to  a 
king,  but,  if  destruction  now  comes,  it  falls  on 
us  both  together.  Do  you  believe  I  love  you 
now?" 

Something  rose  in  Richmond's  throat  and 
choked  him.  He  could  not  speak,  but  she 
needed  no  assurance.  She  knew  and  was  con- 
tent. 

And  so,  hand  in  hand,  the  lovers  entered  the 
oratory  to  take  upon  themselves  the  most 
solemn  vows  that  man  and  woman  can  pro- 
nounce. 

Nell  let  the  curtain  fall  behind  them.  With 
bowed  head  she  listened  to  the  impressive 
words  of  the  holy  contract.  How  solemn  the 
lad's  voice  sounded  !  Those  were  great  words 
they  were  repeating  now:  "Through  evil 
report  and  good  report,  for  better,  for  worse,  till 
death  do  us  part!"  May  that  day  be  far  off! 
Heaven  bless  them  both  ! 

Poor  Nelly !  The  thought  that  came  to  her 
then  was  a  bitter  one,  a  more  bitter  one 
perhaps  than  she  had  ever  known.  Never 
would  she  stand  thus  before  a  priest.  The 
Church  would  never  give  her  its  blessing.  No, 


HER   GRACE   OF    RICHMOND.  247 

so  sacred  a  union  was  not  for  such  as  she. 
She  would  live  and  die  Nell  Gwynne,  and  men 
would  speak  ill  of  her.  Who  would  ever  be- 
lieve that  her  heart  was  not  all  corrupt  ? 

"  Oh,  woe  is  me !  woe  is  me ! "  she  moaned 
beneath  her  breath.  "  Heaven  pity  me  t 
Heaven  help  me !  " 

Any  one  of  her  merry  companions  who  had 
chanced  to  see  her  then  would  have  been  sur- 
prised indeed.  What,  could  this  be  Nell 
Gwynne,  the  blithe,  romping  madcap — this 
girl  with  the  drooping  figure,  the  sad,  sad  eyes 
and  the  mournful  lips  that  quivered  so  piti. 
fully? 

None  of  her  companions  did  see  her,  how. 
ever,  and  the  only  man  who  happened  to  do  so 
was  too  intent  upon  his  own  business  to  think 
of  the  strangeness  of  her  expression,  even  had 
he  chanced  to  notice  it. 

Major  Wilding  had  entirely  lost  sight  of  his 
convert  for  several  days.  Going  to  Richmond's 
house  he  had  insisted  upon  seeing  him,  and,  in 
spite  of  the  protests  of  the  lackey  in  waiting, 
he  had  made  his  way  to  the  study,  where  the 
man  said  his  master  was,  only  to  find  it  unten- 
anted  save  for  the  pathetic  figure  of  Nell 
Gwynne. 

Striding  over  to  her,  he  demanded  with  scanfc 
ceremony : 


248  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"  The  Duke  of  Richmond,  madam !  Where 
is  he  ?  I  must  see  him." 

Nell  turned  upon  the  intruder  a  startled  look. 
Who  was  he  and  what  did  he  want  ? 

The  voice  of  the  young  clergyman,  repeating 
the  concluding  words  of  the  ceremony,  was  dis- 
tinctly audible. 

Wilding  heard  it  and  made  a  movement  as  if 
to  pass  through  the  arch,  and  before  Nell  could 
check  him  he  had  drawn  aside  the  curtain, 
revealing  the  duke  and  the  newly  made  duch- 
ess standing  before  the  altar. 

Dropping  the  curtain  again,  and  staggering 
back  as  if  he  had  been  shot,  he  asked  in  a 
hoarse  whisper : 

"The  duke  and  the  Stuart!  What  does  he 
with  that  woman?  " 

"Hush!"  said  Nell,  gravely.  "Man  and 
wife!" 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    PLAGUE !      THE    PLAGUE ! 

ALL  London  was  astir  with  life  and  gaiety. 
Triumphal  arches  were  erected  in  all  the 
notable  thoroughfares,  flags  were  flying  and 
guns  and  music  sounding  everywhere.  It  was 
a  day  of  rejoicing,  for  the  Dutch  war,  which 
had  been  such  a  burden  upon  the  people,  was 
over  and  peace  had  been  declared.  Disaffection 
was  at  an  end  and  011  all  sides  were  heard  ex- 
pressions of  loyalty  to  the  crown.  To  be  sure, 
the  terms  of  peace,  although  honorable,  had  not 
been  very  favorable  to  England,  but  this  was  a 
matter  of  secondary  importance  in  the  minds  of 
the  general  public. 

The  only  ones  who  did  not  share  in  the  pre- 
vailing exultation  were  the  uncompromising 
republicans,  whom  nothing  could  turn  from  the 
rigidity  of  their  views,  and  the  gentlemen  of 
high  degree,  who,  for  one  reason  or  another, 
had  been  led  to  join  in  the  plot  to  dethrone  the 
king  and  re-establish  the  commonwealth.  All 
chance  of  the  success  of  such  a  plot  was  now  at 

249 


250  NELL   GWYlSnSTE. 

an  end,  at  least  for  the  present.  For  the  con- 
clusion of  peace  had  rendered  the  government 
exceedingly  popular  and  there  was  no  possibil- 
ity of  an  uprising  now.  While  waiting  for  the 
most  favorable  opportunity  the  signal  had  been 
delayed  from  time  to  time  until  now  it  was  too 
late. 

Many  of  the  conspirators  were  exceedingly 
uneasy  and  most  bitterly  regretted  having 
pledged  themselves  to  such  an  undertaking. 
Were  the  plot  to  be  discovered,  only  a  miracle 
could  save  some  of  the  proudest  noblemen  in 
the  land  from  losing  their  heads  upon  the  scaf- 
fold or  being  sent  into  exile. 

An  additional  source  of  anxiety  to  the  leaders 
was  the  fact  that  Major  Wilding,  to  whose  care 
had  been  entrusted  the  documents  signed  in 
duplicate  by  the  conspirators,  had  been  missing 
for  more  than  a  fortnight  and  all  efforts  to  dis- 
cover his  whereabouts  had  proved  unavailing, 

What  could  this  mysterious  absence  mean? 
Had  he  been  waylaid  and  robbed  by  highway- 
men, or  had  he  turned  traitor  and  exposed  the 
plot  to  the  crown  ? 

In  any  event  there  was  serious  cause  for 
alarm,  and  there  was  more  than  one  quaking 
heart  amidst  the  pleasure  seekers  of  London 
that  day.  Of  all  those  who  had  been  prom- 
inently concerned  in  the  plot  the  only  one? 


THE    PLAGUE  !      THE   PLAGUE  ! 

who  preserved  his  equanimity  was  the  Duke  of 
Buckingham.  That  nobleman  was  as  gay  and 
debonair  as  ever,  and  externally,  at  all  events, 
showed  not  the  least  trace  of  uneasiness.  He 
was  not  a  man  to  be  caught  napping,  however, 
and  probably  he  had  taken  precautions  that  no 
harm  should  come  to  him,  whatever  might 
befall  his  companions. 

The  great  event  of  the  day  was  to  be  a  sort 
of  tournament  on  Bandstead  Downs,  consisting 
of  various  trials  of  skill,  strength   and  endur 
ance,  and  to  the  Downs  half  the  populace  of  the 
town  were  flocking. 

A  most  brilliant  scene  it  was,  for  not  only 
was  the  king  there,  attended  by  his  brother,  the 
Duke  of  York,  and  half  the  dukes  of  the  king- 
dom, but  the  queen  and  her  ladies  had  like- 
wise consented  to  grace  the  scene  with  their 
presence. 

On  all  sides  was  a  flutter  of  silk  and  velvet, 
the  gay  dresses  of  both  men  and  women  form- 
ing a  dazzling  kaleidoscope  of  all  colors  imagin- 
able. The  royal  favorites  were  out  in  full  force, 
and  some  of  them  did  not  escape  the  rough 
jeers  of  the  crowd.  The  Duchess  of  Ports- 
mouth, who  was  known  to  be  a  papist  and  was 
strongly  suspected  of  being  an  envoy  of  the 
French  king,  came  in  for  the  greatest  share  of 


252  NELL   GWYNNE. 

the  abuse  and  once  narrowly  escaped  personal 
violence. 

Nell  Gwynne  was  there,  too,  but  she  was 
spared  the  scurrilous  remarks  addressed  to  the 
other  ladies  in  the  same  state  of  preferment, 
for  Madam  Ellen,  as  she  was  generally  known, 
was  the  idol  of  the  public,  both  on  and  off  the 
stage. 

With  her  was  Mistress  Knipp  of  the  Duke's 
Theatre  and  Samuel  Pepys.  The  good  man 
had  long  since  recovered  the  missing  leaves 
of  his  journal  and  to-day  he  was  enjoying  him- 
self  to  the  utmost,  for  was  not  his  wife  ill  at 
home  and  Knipp  in  her  pleasantest  temper  ? 

Amidst  all  the  vast  multitude,  however,  there 
was  not  one  heart  that  beat  higher  with  happi- 
ness than  that  of  Lady  Frances  Stuart,  for  we 
shall  continue  to  call  her  by  that  name  although 
she  had  now  a  right  to  a  loftier  title. 

The  war  was  over,  and  to-morrow  her  hus- 
band would  return  from  the  Rupert,  crowned 
with  the  laurels  he  had  so  justly  won.  Together 
they  would  confess  the  truth  to  the  king  and 
throw  themselves  upon  his  clemency.  Since 
the  unfortunate  scene  in  Spring  Gardens,  the 
king  had  almost  entirely  ceased  forcing  his 
attentions  upon  her,  and  Lady  Frances  was 
beginning  to  hope  that  his  passion  had  been  an 
ephemeral  thing  which  was  now  dying  out. 


THE  PLAGUE!    THE  PLAGUE!  253 

Moreover,  if  this  were  not  true,  how,  save  by 
excluding  them  from  court,  which  was  no  great 
hardship,  could  he  injure  herself  or  her  hus- 
band ?  The  days  were  gone  by  when  an  Eng- 
lish monarch  could  imprison  a  man  or  send  him 
to  the  scaffold  for  a  mere  whim.  The  laws 
now  shielded  Englishmen  so  long  as  they  did 
not  infringe  them.  Of  course,  Lady  Frances  was 
in  blissful  ignorance  of  Richmond's  mad  action 
in  joining  a  conspiracy  against  his  king.  If 
she  had  known  of  this,  her  mind  would  scarce- 
ly have  been  so  much  at  ease,  but  what  the  eye 
does  not  see  the  heart  does  not  grieve  for,  and 
so  she  looked  happily  and  confidently  forward 
to  the  future. 

The  honeymoon  had  been  very  short,  in  fact 
there  had  been  scarcely  any  honeymoon  at  all, 
for  the  very  day  after  the  hurried  wedding,  the 
duke  had  departed  to  resume  command  of  his 
ship,  and  his  wife  had  not  seen  him  since. 
This  was  two  months  ago,  but  the  enforced 
separation  was  now  nearly  at  an  end,  and  the 
war  being  over,  there  need  be  no  further  part- 
ing. 

Two  days  after  the  wedding,  Lady  Frances, 
without  asking  leave  or  license,  went  boldly  to 
the  queen's  withdra wing-room,  and  entering, 
without  being  announced,  found  her  majesty 


254  NELL  GWYSTKE. 

alone  with  no  attendant  save  Winifred  Price, 
who  was  reading  to  her. 

The  queen  turned  very  white  as  she  saw  who 
the  intruder  was,  and  the  maid  of  honor,  in 
astonishment,  paused  in  her  occupation. 

"  Mistress  Price,"  said  Frances,  calmly, 
"  may  I  ask  you  to  leave  me  alone  a  short  time 
with  her  majesty?"  Winifred  was  at  a  loss  for 
a  moment  what  to  do,  but  as  the  queen  said 
nothing,  she  finally  rose  and  left  the  room. 

As  soon  as  the  door  closed,  Frances  threw 
herself  down  by  the  queen's  side  and  took  her 
hands  in  her  own. 

"  Dear  mistress,"  she  said,  softly,  "it  breaks 
my  heart  to  have  incurred  your  disfavor." 

The  queen's  face  was  averted,  and  she  made 
no  reply. 

"  I  have  dared  to  brave  your  further  dis- 
pleasure," continued  Frances,  "by  coming  to 
you  in  spite  of  your  refusal  to  see  me.  There 
must  be  no  misunderstanding  between  you  and 
me." 

The  queen  made  a  movement  as  if  to  with- 
draw her  hands,  but  Frances  held  them  fast 
and  would  not  release  them. 

"  I  trusted  you,"  murmured  Catharine,  in 
trembling  tones. 

"  And  you  may  trust  me  still.  How  can  you 
doubt  me  ?  After  all,  what  have  I  done  ?  " 


THE  PLAGUE!    THE  PLAGUE!  255 

"He — he  loves  you." 

"Loves  me!  No  !  It  is  a  fancy,  that  is  all. 
"When  you  were  taken  ill,  whom  was  it  he 
thought  of?  You,  and  you  alone.  Could  you 
have  but  heard  the  tone  in  which  he  cried,  '  My 
poor  Kate ! '  you  would  have  been  convinced  that 
he  is  not  indifferent." 

At  this  the  poor  woman  turned  eagerly  with 
3,  rosy  flush  upon  her  cheeks.  The  ,!east  ray  of 
hope  was  a  joy  to  her  heavy  heart. 

"  I  am  sure,"  continued  Frances,  truthfully, 
"that  he  bitterly  regrets  his  words  and 
actions." 

"  But  you?     How  can  you  fail "y 

"Dear  mistress,  I  understand.  But  because 
he  is  the  one  man  in  the  world  to  you  it  does 
not  follow  that  he  is  that  to  all  other  women. 
You  heard  what  he  said  that  night,  and  he  did 
me  but  justice.  Beside  there — there  is  another." 

"  Lady  Frances  !  " 

"That  is  not  my  name  now,"  replied  Frances, 
blushing  like  a  rose.  "  I  am  the  Duchess  of 
Richmond." 

And  then  she  made  a  full  confession  to  the 
astonished  and  no  less  delighted  queen.  When 
she  had  finished,  Catharine  kissed  her  raptur- 
ously. 

"  Thank  Heaven,"  she  said,  "  that  you  have 
told  me  this.  Oh !  Frances,  how  I  have  mAssed 


256  NELL   GWYNNE. 

you !  You  don't  know  how  I  have  pined  for 
your  true  heart.  But  I  will  never  doubt  you 
again." 

And  then  the  two  gossiped,  laughed  and  cried 
together  to  their  hearts*  content,  for  woman's 
nature  is  the  same  all  the  world  over,  be  it  in 
palace  or  hovel. 

So,  peace  was  cemented,  and  Lady  Frances 
returned  to  her  position  as  confidant  and  favor- 
ite maid  of  honor,  and,  of  course,  was  one  of 
those  to  accompany  the  queen  to  Bandstead 
Downs  on  the  day  of  the  peace  celebration. 

The  wrestling,  quoit-throwing  and  grinning 
matches  were  over.  The  foot-race  between  a 
lackey  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  and  a  tyler, 
who  was  a  famous  runner,  had  been  run  and 
won  by  the  former,  thereby  causing  a  large  loss 
to  the  king  and  the  Duke  of  York,  who  had  bet 
three  to  one  on  the  tyler. 

And  now  came  the  bear-baiting,  a  diversion 
which  had  recently  been  revived.  It  was  a  vil- 
lainous sport  and  one  that  had  been  held  in 
peculiar  detestation  by  the  Puritans,  though  it 
must  be  confessed  more  on  account  of  the  pleas- 
ure it  gave  the  spectators  than  the  suffering  it 
caused  to  the  bear. 

Lady  Frances  did  not  care  to  see  this,  and 
after  asking  the  permission  of  the  queen,  who  as 
a  native  of  Portugal  was  accustomed  to  the  idea 


THE  PLAGUE!    THE  PLAGUE!  257 

of  even  more  brutal  entertainments,  she  per- 
suaded two  of  the  gentlemen  in  waiting  to 
accompany  herself  and  Winifred  Price  in  a 
stroll  about  the  meadows  until  that  part  of  the 
entertainment  should  be  concluded. 

It  was  a  beautiful  day  in  early  summer  and 
the  grass  was  fresh  and  green  and  dotted  with 
flowers.  The  little  party  left  behind  them  the 
crowd  and  the  two  young  women  removed  their 
masks  and  drank  in  long  draughts  of  the  pure 
fresh  air. 

Lady  Frances  was  in  the  highest  of  spirits, 
and  Winifred  Price,  who  was  not  in  the  secret, 
was  astonished  at  the  way  her  usually  sedate 
ladyship  laughed  and  chattered,  like  the  gid- 
diest of  the  maids  of  honor. 

One  of  the  gentlemen  with  them  was  a  young 
poet  and  dramatist  named  Otway,  whose  trag- 
edy of  Don  Carlos  had  met  with  enormous 
success  and  brought  him  in  large  sums  of 
money.  The  other  was  Sir  George  Etherege. 

The  conversation  naturally  turned  upon  the 
theatre. 

"  I  did  so  enjoy  your  play,  Mr.  Otway/'  said 
Mistress  Price,  turning  her  big  black  eyes 
admiringly  upon  Otway,  for  the  young  fellow 
was  exceedingly  handsome,  and  the  fair  Wini- 
fred was  a  connoisseur  in  manly  beauty,  as  in- 
deed, from  her  vast  experience,  she  ought  to 

17 


258  NELL  GWYNNE. 

have  been.     "  Are  we  not  soon  again  to  be  de. 
lighted  with  a  product  of  your  pen  ?  " 

"  A  new  play  is  very  shortly  to  be  produced 
at  the  King's  House,"  replied  Otway. 

"Oh,  do  tell  us  about  it!"  exclaimed  Wini- 
fred, with  another  killing  glance,  which  made 
Etherege  scowl,  for  he  was  somewhat  enamour- 
ed of  the  charms  of  the  young  lady,  and,  more- 
over, being  a  dramatist  himself,  it  annoyed  him 
to  see  so  much  interest  taken  in  the  work  of  a 
rival. 

"It  is  a  comedy  this  time,'*  said  Otway,  who 
could  not  but  be  flattered  at  the  undisguised 
admiration  of  the  pretty  maid  of  honor,  "  and  it 
is  called  'The  Cheats  of  Scapin.'  " 

"Scapin,"  observed  Lady  Frances.  "That 
sounds  like  Moliere." 

"Yes,  and  so  it  is.  I  have  arranged  it  from 
one  of  Moliere's  comedies." 

"  It  will  be  hard  to  find  players  to  equal  those 
of  Paris." 

And  this  was  true  enough,  for  two  hundred 
years  ago  as  well  as  to-day  Paris  was  unrivaled 
in  almost  all  the  branches  of  art. 

"  Lacy  is  Scapin,"  replied  Otway,  "and  Hart 
plays  also,  and  of  course  Nell  Gwynne.  No 
comedy  can  hope  to  succeed  without  her." 

Now  it  chanced  that  a  few  days  before  it  had 
been  mentioned  in  ths  presence  of  the  acter 


THE    PLAGUE  !      THE    PLAGUE !  259' 

that  it  was  rumored  that  "Winifred  Price  had 
turned  Papist  and  confessed  all  her  love  affairs, 
at  which  Nell  had  smiled  and  remarked : 
"What  a  wonderful  memory  ! " 

This  retort  had  been  repeated  to  Winifred 
and  naturally  had  not  been  greatly  relished  by 
her.  So,  when  the  actress*  name  was  men- 
tioned, she  turned  up  her  pretty  nose  with  an 
air  of  disdain. 

"For  my  part,'*  she  said,  scornfully,  "I  could 
never  see  anything  to  admire  in  that  woman. 
On  the  stage  she  is  coarse  and  shows  the  low- 
ness  of  her  origin,  and  off,  I  am  sure,  her  actions 
are  shocking.  She  should  return  to  the  part 
that  most  befits  her — an  orange  wench  ! " 

Scarcely  were  the  words  out  of  her  mouth, 
when  to  her  amazement,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
gentlemen,  Lady  Frances  turned  upon  her  with 
flashing  eyes. 

"  Not  a  word  against  Mistress  Gwynne  in  my 
presence !  She  has  a  heart  of  gold,  and  as  to  her 
actions,  many  of  them  at  least  might  be  imi- 
tated to  advantage  by  ladies  of  rank  and  birth." 

"Indeed!"  said  Mistress  Price,  biting  her  lip. 
"I  crave  your  pardon,  Lady  Frances.  I  did 
not  know  that " 

But  with  a  little  cry,  she  broke  off  short. 
They  ha,d  walked  across  the  meadow  and 
were  close  to  a  brook,  beyond  which  was  a 


260  NELL   GWYNITE. 

Wood,  intersected  here  and  there  with  foot- 
paths.  The  cause  of  Mistress  Price's  dismay 
was  the  sudden  appearance  on  the  edge  of  this 
wood  of  a  man  and  two  women,  who  came 
hurrying  toward  them  with  every  symptom  of 
alarm. 

As  they  came  closer,  the  man  was  seen  to  be 
Samuel  Pepys.  His  round  face  was  pale  with 
terror  and  he  was  puffing  and  blowing  with  his 
Unwonted  exertion.  He  did  not  stop,  however, 
but  screamed  out,  as  he  hurried  on : 

"Fly  !  Fly  for  your  lives !  The  plague!  The 
plague!  " 

With  a  shriek,  Winifred  Price  gathered  up 
her  skirts,  and  set  off  at  the  top  of  her  speed, 
followed  by  Otway  and  Etherege. 

Lady  Frances  was  about  to  imitate  their  ex- 
ample, when  she  noticed  that  one  of  the  ladies 
who  had  been  with  Pepys  had  stumbled  on  the 
edge  of  the  brook,  and  was  striving  to  extricate 
herself  from  the  slippery  rushes.  Frances  hur- 
ried toward  her,  and,  giving  her  her  hand, 
assisted  her  to  rise.  As  she  did  so  she  recog- 
nized the  lady. 

"  Mistress  Gwynne  ! " 

"  Lady  Frances !     Pardon  me — Your  grace !  " 

It  was  the  first  time  that  the  two  women  had 
met  since  the  memorable  day  at  the  Duke  of 
Richmond's  house. 


THE  PLAGUE!    THE  PLAGUE!  261 

"  Lady  Frances,  we  must  not  remain  here. 
One  stricken  with  the  plague  has  escaped  from 
his  house.  We  were  on  the  other  side  of  the 
wood,  and  the  people  were  flying  in  all  direc- 
tions. Ah!  see!  see!"  as  a  figure  emerged 
from  the  wood  and  staggered  toward  them,  "he 
comes  this  way.  Quick  !  let  us  save  ourselves ! " 

Lady  Frances  seized  Nell's  hand  and  started 
to  run,  but  they  had  not  taken  two  steps  when 
the  actress  uttered  a  cry  of  pain  and  stopped 
short. 

"  Oh  !  I  have  wrenched  my  ankle.  It  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  run.  But  go,  Lady  Frances, 
for  the  love  of  the  saints,  go  !  " 

But  not  one  inch  would  Frances  budge. 
Never  would  she  abandon  in  her  need  the 
woman  through  whose  instrumentality  she  had 
been  raised  from  misery  to  happiness.  Besides, 
it  was  too  late  now,  for  the  man  was  close  upon 
them.  A  most  pitiable  and  terrifying  sight  he 
was.  His  eyes  were  rolling  in  delirium,  his 
thin,  lantern- jawed  face  was  haggard  and  white 
as  that  of  a  corpse,  and  his  scanty  garments 
were  torn  into  shreds  by  his  mad  passage 
through  the  underbrush. 

With  wildly  waving  arms  and  uttering  dis- 
cordant shrieks  he  reeled  forward  only  to  fall 
prostrate  almost  at  the  very  feet  of  the  two  ter- 
rified women.  Lady  Frances  threw  her  arms? 


262  NELL   GWYJSTNE. 

about  Nell's  slender  waist  and  half  carried, 
half  dragged  her  out  of  reach  of  the  touch  of 
the  infected  unfortunate. 

Nell  gave  one  glance  at  him,  and  then  said, 
in  a  horrified  whisper : 

"I  know  him.     It  is  Major  Wilding." 

And  so,  indeed,  it  was.  The  major  had  been 
stricken  with  the  fell  disease  some  weeks  before, 
and  had  been  taken  to  the  pest  house,  from 
which  he  had  managed  to  escape,  and  in  his  de- 
lirium had  rushed  aimlessly  along,  scattering 
dismay  and  terror  in  his  wake. 

"  Ha !  Ha !  Ha ! "  yelled  the  poor  wretch,  roll- 
ing wildly  upon  the  ground  and  tearing  up  the 
grass  by  handfuls.  "  The  fiends  fly  from  me  ! 
I  have  escaped  them  at  last !  Avaunt  thee,  Sa- 
thanas !  I  am  strong — smite,  smite,  and  spare 
not !  The  father's  head  fell ;  why  not  the  son's? 
The  papers !  Where  are  the  papers  ?  Have  we 
not  all  signed  them?  There  are  no  traitors 
among  us  !  No !  no  traitors  !" 

Each  word  was  distinctly  audible  to  Frances 
and  Nelly  as  they  stood  clinging  to  one  another 
in  panic-stricken  silence. 

"Hark!  Hark!"  went  on  Wilding,  his  voice 
sometimes  rising  to  a  shriek,  sometimes  sinking 
almost  to  a  whisper.  "  For  God  and  the  people ! 
Down  with  the  libertine  king !  How  they 
sc^am  and  throw  up  their  caps !  Hush  !  Hush  1 


THE  PLAGUE  !   THE  PLAGUE  !       263 

Not  yet,  good  friends,  not  yet !  The  papers !  I 
must  see  the  papers  safe  first.  Where  is  the 
duke?  He  does  not  come.  I  must  see  him! 
The  duke !  the  papers !  the  duke ! " 

The  sun  was  sinking,  a  golden  ball  in  a  sea 
of  purple  and  crimson  glory,  and  the  trees 
threw  their  long  shadows  over  the  scene.  It 
was  very  still.  The  games  must  be  over,  for  no 
sound  was  borne  on  the  quiet  evening  air  from 
the  Downs. 

"I  can  walk  now,"  whispered  Nell.    "Come!" 

"  Wait !  One  moment !  "  returned  Lady  Fran- 
ces, in  whose  mind  the  ravings  of  Wilding  had 
raised  a  suspicion.  "  Hush  !  He  is  speaking 
again!" 

"  It  is  growing  dark — lights  !  Lights,  there,  I 
say !  Ah !  what  fire  is  this — in  my  brain  and 
in  my  heart?  Water!  water!  for  the  love  of 
Heaven,  water !  The  papers !  See  them  safe ! 
Ah  !  a  fiery  hand  has  me  by  the  throat !  Water  ! 
I'm  burning,  burning !  Water !  The  papers ! 
Water !  Water !  Will  no  Christian  bring  me 
water?" 

11  Poor  soul ! "  murmured  Lady  Frances,  com- 
passionately. "Wait!  I  will  bring  you  water." 

"Oh!  no!  no!"  exclaimed  Nell.  "Not  you! 
Let  me  go ! " 

But,  before  she  could  prevent  her,  Frances 
had  hurried  away  to  the  brook.  Removing  her 


264  NELL   GWYNNE. 

hat,  she  tore  off  its  broad  brim,  and  filling  the 
receptacle  thus  formed  she  returned  to  the 
stricken  man's  side  and  held  the  water  to  his 
lips. 

"Wilding  raised  himself  painfully  on  one  el- 
bow, drank  long  and  greedily,  and  then,,  with  a 
shuddering  sigh,  sank  back  again  upon  the 
ground. 

"And  angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him," 
he  muttered,  far  more  calmly  than  he  had 
spoken  heretofore.  "The  papers!  Would  that 
the  papers  were  safe  !  " 

As  he  spoke  he  fumbled  with  feeble  fingers  at 
the  bosom  of  his  shirt,  and  finally  drew  out  a 
folded  packet. 

Lady  Frances  bent  over  him. 

"Those  papers  lie  heavy  on  your  mind,  she 
said,  gently.  "Are  they  of  moment?" 

He  looked  at  her,  but  there  was  no  recogni- 
tion in  his  gaze. 

"Ah,"  he  gasped,  "is  it  you,  duke?  Here, 
take  them.  They  have  all  signed — all  signed. 
The  king's  fate  is  sealed — ha !  ha !  ha !  sealed. 
Take  them !  Take  them,  I  say ! " 

Lady  Frances  mechanically  obeyed. 

"Ah!  that  is  well!"  he  sighed,  closing  nis 
eyes.  "You  have  the  papers — Heaven  bless 
you! — I  ca<J  sleep  now " 


THE  PLAGUE!    THE  PLAGUE!  265 

"Poor  soul,  he  has  fainted,"  said  Nell,  who 
had  come  close  to  Frances'  side. 

Frances  was  gazing  at  the  packet  she  held  in 
her  hand  with  a  troubled  look. 

"There  was  a  fearful  import  in  his  broken 
words,"  she  said.  "  What  can  these  papers 
be?" 

"Open  them  and  see." 

"He  said  the  king's  fate  was  sealed.  Yes,  I 
must  know." 

And  unfolding  one  of  the  papers  she  glanced 
hurriedly  over  it.  As  she  did  so,  she  turned 
very  pale. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Nell,  quickly. 

"Treason!  A  compact  against  the  king. 
This  is  Heaven's  work,  and  I  am  made  the 
instrument  to  save  him." 

"A  compact  against  the  king!"  cried  Nell,  in 
her  turn  paling.  "  There  is  no  time  to  be  lost. 
Quick,  your  ladyship !  You  must  to  the  king 
at  once." 

"But  you?"  said  Lady  Frances,  hesitating. 

"  Oh,  never  mind  me.     Go  !     Go  at  once  ! " 

"  I  will  send  some  one  to  you.  You  are  right. 
This  is  serious  and  there  must  be  no  delay." 

Left  alone  with  the  sick  man,  Nell  sat  down 
upon  a  stone  to  wait  for  the  promised  aid.  Her 
foot  was  still  painful,  but  she  could  have  man- 
aged to  hobble  to  the  nearest  house  had  it  not 


266  NELL   GWYNNE. 

seemed  to  her  cruel  to  leave  Major  Wilding 
alone  and  unattended.  What  could  this  plot 
be?  Did  it  threaten  the  king's  life?  If  so, 
God  grant  that  the  danger  be  averted  !  It  did 
indeed  seem  like  an  act  of  Providence  that  the 
papers  should  have  fallen  into  the  hands  they 
had. 

"  Mistress  Gwynne !" 

Nell  gave  a  great  start.  Whose  was  this 
voice  calling  her  name?  She  had  been  so 
absorbed  in  her  reflections  that  she  had  almost 
forgotten  Wilding,  but  now  she  became  con- 
scious that  he  had  raised  himself  to  a  sitting 
posture  and  was  looking  at  her  with  wondering 
eyes. 

"Where  am  I?"  he  continued.  "And,  Mis- 
tress Gwynne,  what  are  you  doing  here?" 

He  was  no  longer  raving,  but  seemed  perfect, 
ly  rational. 

"You  have  been  very  ill,"  said  Nell,  gently, 
"and  have,  wandered  away  from  home.  Keep 
still.  Help  will  be  here  shortly." 

Wilding  raised  his  hand  and  passed  it  slowly 
over  his  forehead.  Then,  as  if  suddenly  re. 
membering,  he  clutched  his  breast,  and,  not 
finding  the  papers  there,  he  turned  a  terrible 
look  upon  Nell. 

"Where  are  those   papers?"   he   demanded 


THE  PLAGUE  !   THE  PLAGUE !       267 

fiercely.  "  Did  you  take  them — have  you 
them  ?  Speak,  for  the  love  of  heaven  ! " 

"  There  is  no  need  of  alarm,"  said  Nell  confi- 
dently. "  The  papers  are  safe." 

"  But  where  are  they  ?    Where  are  they  ? " 

"In  safe  keeping.  Lady  Frances  Stuart  was 
here  and  you  gave  them  to  her.  Seeing  you  so 
troubled  about  them,  she  read  them  and  saw 
that  they  were  treason,  so,  as  you  could  not  do 
BO,  she  has  taken  them  to  the  king  herself." 

With  the  roar  of  a  wild  beast  deprived  of  its 
prey,  Wilding  leaped  almost  to  his  feet,  and 
then  his  face  turned  a  ghastly  hue,  and  he  fell 
heavily  back  again. 

In  alarm  Nell  sprang  toward  him. 

"  You  are  worse,"  she  cried.     "  What  is  it? " 

Wilding  was  breathing  sterterously.  He 
grasped  his  throat  with  both  hands,  as  if  try- 
ing to  relieve  himself.  At  last  he  managed  to 
articulate  painfully : 

"She — has — struck — our — heads — from — our 
— shoulders." 

"They  were  not  for  the  king?  " 

"No!  No!  Mistress — Gwynne — you  are — 
duke — Richmond's — friend." 

"  Yes  !  Yes !     Speak." 

"  Compact — King's  undoing — signed — Buck« 
ingham — myself — Richmond " 

Nell  grew  pale  to  the  very  lips  and  stared  at 


268  NELL   GWYNNE. 

him  with  wide-open,  horrified  eyes.  Richmond 
a  traitor?  Richmond  sign  a  compact  for  the 
king's  undoing?  Oh,  this  was  terrible. 

"  Warn — them." 

"I  will !     I  will !     _  promise " 

"  Heaven — bless ' 

He  gasped,  struggling  for  utterance,  but  no 
words  would  come.  Suddenly  the  jaw  dropped, 
there  was  a  convulsive  twitching  of  the  limbs 
and  then  all  was  still. 

With  a  cry  of  horror,  Nell  recoiled. 

Her  cry  was  answered  by  the  halloo  of  those 
whom  Lady  Frances  had  sent. 

But  so  far  as  aid  to  Major  Wilding  was  con- 
cerned, it  was  too  late. 

The  fanatical  conspirator  was  dead. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A   ROUT    AT    WHITEHALL. 

IT  was  an  evening  of  splendor  at  Whitehall. 
The  festivities  of  the  day  had  culminated 
in  a  grand  rout  given  by  the  king,  to  which  all 
the  notables  of  the  town  had  been  bidden. 

The  matted  gallery  was  lighted  with  hun- 
dreds of  candles,  and  filled  with  a  crowd  of 
gallants  and  ladies  whose  gay  court  dresses 
made  the  whole  place  look  like  a  vast  flower 
garden. 

The  most  famous  singers  of  the  day  rendered 
songs  of  exquisite  music  and  abominable  words 
which  both  men  and  women  applauded  with, 
out  a  blush.  There  were  a  dozen  tables  of 
card  players,  the  favorite  games  being  basset 
and  ombre,  the  latter  a  new  importation  from 
Paris,  and  the  amounts  staked  were  enormous. 

Pepys  was  there  of  course.  He  never  neg- 
lected an  opportunity  to  bring  himself  into 
notice  and  pull  the  wires  to  work  his  own 
advancement.  He  was  in  his  element,  flit- 
ting from  group  to  group,  retailing  the  last 

2B9 


270  NELL  GWYKNE. 

bit  of  scandal,  and  keeping  his  eyes  and  ears 
open  to  all  that  was  going  on.  The  story  of 
the  man  with  the  plague  was  repeated  again 
and  again,  and  embellished  with  such  won- 
derful variations  that  it  was  doubtful  if  Sam- 
uel himself,  toward  the  end  of  the  evening, 
could  tell  what  was  true  and  what  was  false 
in  the  recital.  The  only  thorn  in  the  good 
man's  flesh  was  the  presence  of  his  wife,  who 
had  recovered  with  marvellous  celerity  from 
her  recent  illness,  and  under  her  lynx-eyed 
supervision,  he  dared  not  flirt  with  the  court 
beauties  as  he  would  have  liked. 

The  queen  sat  somewhat  apart  with  two  of 
her  maids  of  honor,  Price  and  Wells.  Winifred 
had  told  her  of  what  had  occurred  in  the  mea- 
dow, and  although  her  majesty  was  somewhat 
worried  at  the  non-appearance  of  Lady  Frances, 
her  attention  was  chiefly  absorbed  in  watching 
the  king,  who  lolled  on  a  sort  of  ottoman,  with 
Louise  de  Querouaille,  Duchess  of  Portsmouth, 
on  one  side  and  Barbara  Palmer,  Duchess  of 
Cleveland,  on  the  other,  both  ladies  resplendent 
in  gorgeous  attire  and  glittering  with  jewels. 
The  queen  had  long  grown  accustomed  to  the 
presence  of  the  king's  favorites  at  court,  al- 
though when,  soon  after  her  arrival  in  England, 
she  had  been  forced  to  receive  Portsmouth,  she 
had  fainted  from  anger  and  shame. 


A   ROUT   AT   WHITEHALL.  271 

About  the  king  were  clustered  the  brightest 
and  wittiest  men  of  the  day,  like  Rochester, 
Buckingham  and  Sedley,  for  save  in  the  man- 
agement of  public  affairs,  Charles  would  not 
tolerate  about  his  person  those  who  did  not 
amuse  him.  The  merry  monarch  was  in  his 
most  jovial  vein  to-night  and  astonished  even 
those  who  knew  him  best  by  the  quickness  of 
his  conception,  the  brilliancy  of  his  wit  and  the 
variety  of  his  knowledge. 

Our  old  friend  Buckhurst  was  there  too.  He 
had  returned  from  the  fleet  the  day  before,  only 
too  glad  to  be  back  in  town  once  again,  not  that 
his  duties  on  either  the  Rupert  or  the  Royal 
Monarch  had  been  very  onerous,  for  on  account 
of  his  ignorance  of  seamanship  he  had  found  it 
impossible  to  carry  out  his  good  resolutions, 
and  so,  following  the  example  of  the  other 
"gentlemen  captains,"  he  had  left  the  direc- 
tion of  his  vessel  entirely  to  his  subordinates 
and  spent  his  time  in  a  round  of  revelry  and 
amusement.  He  was  looking  remarkably  well 
to-night  in  a  handsome  suit  of  green  velvet, 
laced  with  silver,  and,  if  appearances  are  any 
criterion,  he  had  entirely  recovered  from  his 
infatuation  for  Nell  Gwynne,  for  he  was  con- 
versing in  the  most  animated  manner  with 
rosy-cheeked  Mary  Middleton.  "  Mary  with  the 


272  NELL   GWYNNE. 

locks  of  night,"  as  he  afterward  called  her  in 
an  ode  composed  in  her  honor. 

The  revelry  was  at  its  height  when  Lady 
Frances  descended  the  broad  flight  of  stairs  that 
led  into  the  gallery  from  the  wing  of  the  palace 
devoted  to  the  use  of  the  maids  of  honor.  Mar- 
vellously lovely  she  looked  in  a  bodice  and  train 
of  amber  satin  over  a  petticoat  of  heavy  white 
silk,  richly  embroidered  in  gold ;  but  somehow 
her  stately,  high-bred  ladyship,  with  her  pure, 
proud  face  seemed  strangely  out  of  place  in  this 
heated  atmosphere,  amid  the  painted  languish- 
ing beauties  and  the  gallants  with  their  foppish 
manners  and  unrestrained  license  of  tongue. 

Lady  Frances,  although  she  had  made  all 
haste,  had  been  unable  to  reach  Whitehall  until 
the  rout  had  begun.  There  was  but  one  thing 
to  be  done ;  she  must  see  the  king  that  night 
and  place  in  his  hands  the  papers  which  had  so 
fortunately  come  into  her  possession.  So  she 
dressed  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  hurried  to 
join  the  revellers. 

She  had  scarcely  made  her  appearance  when 
she  was  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  courtiers. 
She  was  still  believed  to  stand  the  highest  in 
royal  favor  and  all  were  eager  to  do  homage  to 
the  newly-risen  star.  Among  those  who  flut- 
tered about  her  were  Pepys  and  Sir  George 
Etherege,  who  were  full  of  solicitude  as  to 


A   ROUT   AT   WHITEHALL.  273 

how  she  had  escaped  from  the  danger  which 
had  threatened  them  during  the  afternoon. 

Lady  Frances  gave  them  but  scant  satis- 
faction. 

"If  you  had  been  a  little  more  thoughtful 
when  danger  was  near,"  she  said,  with  a  dis- 
dainful curl  of  the  lip  she  could  not  repress, 
"  and  a  little  less  given  to  protestation  now  the 
danger  is  passed,  I  should  be  more  likely  to  be- 
lieve in  your  professed  concern." 

Both  gentlemen  at  this  looked  decidedly 
shame-faced,  for  they  could  not  but  feel  that,  in 
their  alarm  for  their  own  persons,  they  had  been 
anything  but  gallant. 

"Ah!  Lady  Frances,  would  I  had  been 
there!"  broke  in  Sir  Thomas  Ogle,  who  had 
long  been  waiting  for  an  opportunity  again  to 
bring  his  suit  to  the  notice  of  her  whose  will 
was  supposed  to  be  paramount  with  the  king, 
and  he  fatuously  supposed,  the  present  moment 
to  be  favorable  to  his  purpose.  "  Had  I  been  so 
happy  as  to  come  to  your  rescue,  I  might  hope 
that  a  request  I  have  to  make  would  meet  with 
your  kind  consideration,  especially  as  it  is  for 
sweet  charity's  sake." 

"  That  is  a  spell  I  must  obey,"  replied  Fran- 
ces, though  with  visible  impatience. 

"I  entreat  your  good  offices  for  a  poor  and 

18 


274  NELL   GWYNNE. 

most  deserving  man,"  continued  Sir  Thomas 
Ogle  in  his  most  beseeching  tones. 

"  What  do  you  want  for  him?  " 

"  Only  a  miserable  thousand  of  the  public 
money — the  embassy  to  Venice." 

"  And  who  is  the  poor  but  deserving  man  you 
would  have  it  for  ?  " 

"  One  Sir  Thomas  Ogle." 

"Yourself  !  "  said  Lady  Frances,  with  a  sar- 
castic affectation  of  surprise. 

"As  deserving  a  man  as  I  know  and  as  out 
at  elbows.  I " 

"Nay,"  interrupted  Lady  Frances,  with  keen 
irony,  "you  need  no  advocate  for  your  deserts, 
they  speak  for  themselves;  and,  as  for  your 
poverty,  your  best  vouchers  are " 

"Who?" 

"Your  creditors." 

This  was  somewhat  severe,  but  Lady  Fran- 
ces' good  nature  was  exhausted.  This  buzzing 
about  her  of  the  court  flies  was  intolerable,  and 
now  that  she  was  Richmond's  wife,  even  though 
that  was  as  yet  a  secret,  she  felt  that  it  was 
doubly  an  insult. 

Turning  to  Buckhurst,  who  had  approached 
to  pay  her  his  respects,  she  said : 

"  Your  hand,  my  lord.  I  would  go  to  the 
queen." 

And  thus  escorted  she  moved  away,  leaving 


A   ROUT    AT   WHITEHALL.  275 

Ogle  to  bear  as  best  he  might  the  jests  of  his 
companions  at  his  discomfiture. 

As  they  slowly  made  their  way  across  the 
room,  Buckhurst,  in  the  flowery  manner  which 
was  the  fashion  of  the  day,  murmured  compli- 
ments upon  her  dress  and  appearance.  But 
Lady  Frances'  thoughts  were  far  away  and  she 
was  evidently  not  listening  to  him,  for  she  sud- 
denly interrupted  one  of  his  most  carefully 
turned  phrases : 

"My  lord,  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you.'' 

Somewhat  surprised,  Buckhurst  replied  with 
alacrity : 

"  You  know,  my  fair  patroness,  I  am  yours  to 
command." 

"Then,  my  lord,  I  beg  you  to  obtain  the 
king's  ear  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  and  say 
to  him  that  I  would  speak  to  him  in  private  on 
a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance.  I  will  be 
in  the  anteroom  at  the  west  end  of  the  gallery, 
and  there  await  his  majesty's  coming." 

These  were  difficult  words  for  Lady  Frances 
to  utter,  for  she  knew  full  well  what  construc- 
tion Buckhurst  would  put  upon  them ;  but  time 
pressed,  and,  at  all  costs,  she  must  see  the  king 
without  delay. 

Whatever  he  may  have  thought,  however, 
Buckhurst  gave  no  outward  sign  of  it,  but 


276  NELL   GWYNKE. 

promised  to  fulfill  the  lady's  belaest  immedi- 
ately. 

But  if  Buckhurst  was  surprised,  Charles, 
when  he  was  informed  of  Lady  Frances'  de- 
sire, was  doubly  so,  and  delighted  as  well. 
Could  it  mean  that  La  Belle  had  "melted  at  last  ? 
At  all  events,  he  would  lose  no  time  in  obeying 
her  and  discovering  the  reason  of  her  request. 

Leaving  those  about  him  with  but  scant  cer- 
emony, he  hastened  to  the  anteroom,  where  he 
found  Lady  Frances  awaiting  him. 

"Venus  has  issued  her  commands,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "and  behold  her  devoted  slave  obeys." 

"  I  thank  you,  sire,"  said  Frances,  quietly. 
«'  I  would  fain  speak  to  you  on  a  matter  of  the 
utmost  importance,  or  I  should  not  have  ven- 
tured to  be  so  importunate." 

"  Your  will  is  my  law,  fair  cousin,"  replied 
the  king,  gallantly,  thinking  meanwhile  that 
surely  there  was  not  a  woman  in  England  that 
could  compare  to  her  in  loveliness. 

Lady  Frances  then  proceeded  to  relate  to  him 
her  adventure  of  the  afternoon  and  ended  by 
handing  him  the  papers  she  had  obtained  from 
"Wilding.  Had  she  but  read  them  through 
and  seen  one  of  the  signatures  at  the  end,  she 
would  have  suffered  death  rather  than  thus 
place  her  husband's  neck  beneath  the  axe. 


A   ROUT   AT   WHITEHALL.  277 

Charles  took  them  sulkily  enough.  He  had 
expected  a  love  rendezvous,  and  not  even  the 
gravity  of  the  information  imparted  to  him 
could  efface  his  disappointment. 

He  opened  the  papers,  however,  and  after 
glancing  at  them  hastily,  thrust  them  into  his 
pocket. 

"But,  sire — "  began  Lady  Frances  in  sur- 
prised remonstrance. 

"Odds  fish,  my  fair  coz,"  interrupted  the 
king,  "plots  are  no  novelty  to  me.  We  will 
see  to  this  to-morrow.  It  is  a  matter  for 
Shaftesbury  to  look  into.  Pleasure  to-night. 
Let  business  wait.  When  with  you,  how  can  I 
think  of  anything  else?  But  why  still  so 
solemn  ?  No  more  sour  news,  I  hope  ?  " 

"Not  for  me,  sire,"  replied  Lady  Frances, 
her  heart  beating  a  little  faster.  "  I  leave  the 
court  in  two  days." 

"  Leave  the  court  in  two  days ! "  repeated  the 
king  in  consternation.  "  How !  Without  our 
permission  ?  " 

"  No,  your  majesty,  I  shall  have  your  permis- 
sion. I  have  her  majesty's  and  you  will  hardly 
oppose  our  joint  wishes  in  so  light  a  matter." 

"Light  matter!"  ejaculated  the  king,  pas- 
sionately. "  Frances,  would  you  rob  my  court 
of  its  star,  my  heart  of  its  queen  ?  " 

"Sire,  it  is  best  we  part,"  replied  Lady  Fran- 


278  NELL   GWYXNE. 

ces,  with  gentle  gravity.  "  Scandalous  tongues 
have'  been  busy  both  with  your  credit  and  mine. 
I  would  not  have  our  common  name  sullied 
either  in  your  person  or  my  own.  I  love  your 
majesty  as  subjects  should  love  their  king,  with 
honor  and  respect ;  I  always  would  so  love  you ; 
and  that  I  may,  I  beseech  you  let  me  leave  this 
place." 

"  Leave  the  court !  No  !  No  I  "  said  the  king, 
firmly,  thinking  it  some  caprice  he  could  easily 
combat  on  the  morrow.  "  But  we  will  talk  of 
this  further  at  a  more  fitting  time.  Hark ! 
They  are  beginning  a  minuet.  Not  one  word 
more,"  as  Frances  attempted  to  speak,  "  I  will 
forget  all  but  pleasure  for  to-night.  Come,  we 
will  dance  together.  Come,  my  Britannia ! " 

Lady  Frances  could  not  refuse,  and  in 
another  moment  they  were  treading  the  state- 
ly  measures  of  the  dance,  Frances'  mind  by  no 
means  at  rest  as  to  the  way  his  majesty  had 
received  her  two  important  pieces  of  intelli- 
gence, and  the  king  as  carelessly  gay  as  if  plots 
and  plotters  had  no  existence. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CHECK   TO    THE   KING. 

THE  king's  cabinet  was  on  the  second  floor 
of  the  palace  at  the  extreme  end  of  one 
of  the  wings,  and  besides  the  door  leading  into 
the  corridor,  it  had  another  means  of  egress  and 
ingress,  connecting  with  the  garden  by  a  long 
flight  of  steps.  This  latter  was  extremely  con- 
venient when  Charles  wished  to  receive  some 
one  without  the  knowledge  of  his  gentlemen  in 
waiting. 

The  cabinet  was  his  majesty's  favorite  apart- 
ment, and  well  it  might  have  been,  for  it  was 
a  delightful  room,  with  broad,  low  windows, 
admitting  a  flood  of  light  and  sunshine.  The 
walls  were  hung  with  gold  leather,  the  window 
curtains  were  crimson  silk  embroidered  in  odd 
designs  and  the  furniture  was  of  magnificent 
old  oak,  black  with  age.  Above  the  superbly 
carved  fireplace,  which  was  adorned  with  a  pair 
of  solid  silver  andirons,  hung  one  of  Hans  Hol- 
bein's most  exquisite  Madonnas,  secreted  and 
saved  at  the  time  the  vandal  Roundheads  or- 

279 


280  NELL   GWYNNE. 

dered  the  destruction  of  all  paintings  represent- 
ing the  Virgin  Mother  or  the  infant  Jesus. 

Charles  sat  on  one  side  of  a  long  table  cov. 
ered  with  papers  which  were  about  to  go  before 
the  Council  and  opposite  him  was  the  Lord 
Privy  Seal. 

Shaftesbury  had  not  found  the  king  as  lazy 
and  indifferent  this  morning  as  he  usually  was 
when  public  business  was  to  be  discussed.  He 
was  preoccupied,  however,  and  his  brow  was 
dark  and  gloomy.  Lady  Frances'  announce- 
ment of  her  intention  to  leave  the  court  had 
been  anything  but  agreeable  to  him  and  had 
aroused  into  full  life  again  the  passion  which 
had  slumbered  since  the  unfortunate  scene  in 
Spring  Gardens.  He  would  not  lose  her  with- 
out a  struggle,  however,  and  he  had  sent  Chif- 
finch  to  command  her  presence  before  him  that 
afternoon.  In  addition  to  this  annoyance,  he 
was  troubled  by  the  discovery  of  this  plot.  He 
had  thrust  the  unwelcome  knowledge  from  him 
the  evening  before,  but  action  could  be  no 
longer  deferred.  For  once  the  royal  trifler  was 
startled  and  was  forced  to  look  matters  squarely 
in  the  face.  When  he  first  came  to  the  throne, 
he  had  a  father's  murder  to  avenge,  and  he  had 
raised  a  scaffold  for  that  father's  murderers. 
Since  then,  he  had  returned  to  his  natural 
humor  and  been  an  easy  sovereign,  the  tool  of 


CHECK   TO   THE   KING.  281 

intriguing  men,  the  slave  of  still  more  intrigu- 
ing women,  till  the  name  of  King  bade  fair 
to  become  a  laughing  stock  in  England.  He 
must  rear  the  scaffold  once  more. 

"  Shaftesbury,"  he  exclaimed,  suddenly  lift- 
ing  his  head,  and  interrupting  the  Lord  Presi- 
dent in  a  long-winded  discourse,  not  one  word  of 
which  the  king  had  heard.  "  Shaftesbury,  let 
these  matters  rest  for  the  present.  You  must 
prepare  the  Council  for  a  grave  matter  to  be 
laid  before  them  to-day.  Read  that  paper.'* 

As  he  spoke,  he  picked  up  a  document  which 
lay  before  him  and  handed  it  over  to  Shaftes- 
bury. The  latter  unfolded  it,  without  being 
much  impressed  by  the  king's  words,  for  he 
knew  by  experience  that  what  seemed  grave  to 
his  majesty  was  but  too  frequently  of  little 
moment  in  his  own  eyes  and  those  of  the  Coun- 
cil. But  as  he  read,  his  expression  underwent 
a  decided  change,  and  he  carefully  perused  the 
document  twice. 

"This  is  serious,  indeed,"  he  said,  at  last. 
"Hum!  this  is  treason ,  treason  of  the  rankest 
sort.  A  solemn  league  and  compact  to  dethrone 
the  king.  And  signed — "  Here  he  paused,  and 
then  raising  his  eyes  and  fixing  them  upon 
Charles,  he  asked  slowly  and  impressively: 
"Has  your  majesty  read  these  signatures?" 


282  ]STELL   GWYNNE. 

"  Not  I,"  replied  the  king.  "  I  knew  myself 
too  well.  You  read  the  names,  my  lord." 

Thus  commanded,  Shaftesbury  began: 

"  The  Lord  Grey,  of  Wark " 

"Ah!"  interrupted  the  king.  "I  refused 
him  a  place  in  the  Exchequer.  I  meant  it 
kindly,  but  he  has  taken  it  ill.  Go  on." 

"  Roger  Palmer,  Earl  of  Castlemaine." 

This  was  the  husband  of  the  notorious  Duch- 
ess of  Cleveland,  and  to  quiet  him  for  his  wife's 
dishonor,  he  had  been  granted  an  Earldom  in 
Ireland  and  sent  to  that  country. 

"  Ah  !  I  have  injured  him,"  observed  Charles, 
thoughtfully.  "  Efe  has  a  right  to  butt  at  me. 
Go  on." 

"  Major  Wilding." 

"A  fifth  monarchy  man,"  with  a  scornful 
laugh.  "The  old  leaven!  He  is  a  madman, 
and  nothing  worse.  Go  on." 

Shaftesbury  hesitated. 

"Goon!     Why  do  you  pause ?" 

"George  Villiers,  Duke  of  Buckingham." 

At  this  name  Charles  started  violently,  and 
the  hand  resting  upon  the  table  was  clinched  so 
tightly  that  the  nails  penetrated  the  flesh. 

"  My  lord,  it  is  impossible,"  he  exclaimed,  in 
a  low,  shocked  voice.  "  Do  you  mock  me  ?  " 

"  Nay,  here  is  his  hand  and  seal.   Char " 


CHECK   TO   THE   KING.  283 

'  One  moment,  my  lord,  one  moment  I "  com- 
manded Charles,  with  an  effort. 

There  was  an  instant  of  painful  silence,  and 
wlwn  the  king  spoke  again  it  was  more  in  sor- 
row than  in  anger. 

"  This  was  mine  own  familiar  friend  in  whom 
I  trusted.  Oh !  who  would  be  a  king  1 "  And 
then,  mastering  his  emotion :  "  Proceed,  my 
lord.*' 

"  Charles  Stuart,  Duke  of  Richmond." 

This  time  the  effect  upon  the  king  was  elec- 
trical. He  leaped  from  his  chair,  snatched  the 
paper  from  Shaftesbury's  hand,  and  fairly 
gloated  over  the  signature.  Here  was  some- 
thing for  once  to  thank  treason  for.  This  pre- 
sumptuous duke,  who  had  drank  Oliver's  health, 
and  more,  much  more,  who  he  strongly  sus- 
pected was  his  successful  rival  with  La  Belle, 
was  completely  in  his  power  at  last.  This  time 
no  supplications  of  Nell  Gwynne  or  anyone  else 
should  save  him. 

"I've  heard  enough — more  than  enough,"  he 
cried,  casting  the  paper  down  upon  the  table. 
««To  the  Council,  my  lord.  Open  this  black 
business  in  what  fashion  you  will.  I  will  but 
dress  and  follow  you." 

"The  papers,  sire,"  suggested  Shaftesbury; 
"shall  I  take  them?" 

"  No.     Let  the  clerk  fetch  them.     I  would  go 


284  NELL   GWY^NE. 

over  the  names.  I  can  read  them  now.  I  know 
the  best  and  the  worst." 

Shaftesbury  bowed  and  retired  to  proceed  to 
the  council  chamber,  which  was  in  the  same 
corridor,  while  Charles  entered  his  closet  to 
make  his  toilet. 

For  five  minutes  or  so  the  room  was  deserted, 
then  the  grating  sound  of  a  key  turning  in  the 
lock  was  heard,  the  door  giving  upon  the  stair- 
case which  led  to  the  garden  was  cautiously 
opened,  and  a  woman  peeped  in. 

Apparently  satisfied  that  the  coast  was  clear, 
she  entered,  closing  the  door  behind  her,  and, 
throwing  back  her  hood,  revealed  the  bright 
visage  of  Nell  Gwynne ;  not  so  bright  as  usual, 
however,  for  a  shade  of  anxiety  rested  upon  it. 

All  night  long  she  had  lain  awake  trying  to 
devise  some  means  to  rescue  the  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond from  the  dangerous  position  in  which  his 
folly  had  placed  him.  At  last  she  happened  to 
think  of  the  key  to  the  king's  cabinet,  which 
Charles  had  given  to  her.  She  remembered,  too, 
how  careless  he  was,  even  with  documents  of 
moment.  Might  not  that  paper  be  lying  upon 
his  table,  where  anyone  could  take  possession  of 
it  ?  It  was  worth  looking  into,  at  all  events.  If 
she  could  but  once  lay  her  hands  on  the  proofs 
of  the  duke's  treason  she  would  destroy  them, 
let  the  consequences  be  what  they  might.  They 


CHECK   TO   THE   KING.  285 

couldn't  kill  her  for  it,  anyway,  and,  besides, 
she  would  swear  that  she  had  never  seen  them. 

So,  in  accordance  with  this  plan,  she  had 
come  to  Whitehall  and  stolen  up  the  private 
staircase.  Thus  far  fortune  had  favored  her; 
she  had  managed  to  escape  observation  and  the 
room  was  empty.  Yes,  there  was  the  table  lit- 
tered with  papers.  Just  as  she  had  expected, 
everything  in  confusion !  What  a  sad  sloven 
he  was  ! 

She  hurried  over  to  the  table,  and  commenced 
eagerly  to  examine  the  various  documents.  Ex- 
penses of  the  King's  ducks.  List  of  ships  at 
Chatham.  Project  of  the  Canary  Company. 
For  the  Council.  A  solemn  league  to — Ha! 
this  was  it !  Heaven  be  thanked !  She  had 
found  it  and  Richmond  was  saved.  But  how 
to  destroy  it  ? 

As  she  thought  this,  her  eye  fell  upon  a 
lighted  taper,  which  had  been  used  by  Shaftes- 
bury  for  sealing  purposes.  This  was  the  very 
thing !  But  just  as  she  was  about  to  apply  the 
paper  to  the  flame,  she  heard  the  creaking  of  a 
door  behind  her.  Flinging  down  the  document 
she  turned  hurriedly  and  confronted  the  king, 
who  was  just  entering. 

"  Hey-day,"  exclaimed  Charles.  "  Is  it  you, 
Nelly  ?  A  most  agreeable  surprise.  But  'you 
look  disturbed,  child !  " 


286  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"So  do  you!"  retorted  Nell  boldly,  perceiv- 
ing that  she  had  not  been  detected  in  her  med- 
dling. <  <  What' s  the  matter  ? ' ' 

The  king  sighed  heavily,  and  threw  himself 
down  in  a  chair. 

"  Nothing  in  especial ;  only  a  little  more  trea- 
son and  ingratitude  than  usual." 

Nell  threw  off  her  cloak,  and  leaning  over 
him,  playfully  attempted  to  smoothe  the  wrin- 
kles from  his  brow. 

"  Ah,  Nelly,  this  thing  called  a  throne  is  but 
a  seat  of  thorns.  A  king  should  have  no 
friends." 

"A  king  like  you  cannot  avoid  making 
them." 

"  Fair- weather  friends,  perhaps,  or  men  who 
are  your  friends  only  so  long  as  it  is  for  their 
advantage  to  be  so.  In  the  duet  called  friend- 
ship, my  lass,  if  both  voices  do  not  ring  false, 
one  always  does." 

"Tush,  your  majesty  is  out  of  sorts  this 
morning." 

"  And  with  good  reason,  Nell.  The  kingdom 
is  in  sad  disorder." 

"  Not  so  great  as  this  room,  I  trust.  What ! 
are  there  no  women  in  the  house  to  set  matters 
to  rights  a  little?" 

The  king  smiled  satirically,  as  he  replied : 


CHECK   TO   THE   KING.  287 

"  There  are  women  enough  in  this  house,  the 
Lord  knows!" 

"But  not  the  sort  of  women  to  set  things 
right,  eh  ?"  said  Nell,  demurely.  All  the  time 
she  was  thinking  how  she  could  obtain  posses- 
sion of  that  treasonable  paper. 

"  And  you  will  never  be  comfortable  either  in 
mind  or  body,"  she  continued,  "so  long  as  you 
have  Portsmouth  and  Cleveland  about  you." 

"  Hey-day !     Hey-day  !  " 

"  It's  true.  They  trade  on  your  bad  qualities 
and  don't  see  your  good  ones.  They  deceive 
you,  and  leave  you  here  in  a  slovenly  room, 
and,"  with  a  sudden  inspiration,  "without  even 
a  fire  to  warm  you,  although  the  room  is  as 
cold  as  an  audience  in  Lent." 

"They  gave  me  a  fire,  but  it  has  gone 
out." 

"Shall  we  light  it  again?"  asked  Nell 
eagerly. 

"It  is  somewhat  cold,"  said  the  king  languid- 
ly. "I  will  order  the  rogues  to  light  it." 

"No!  No!"  protested  Nelly,  who  now  saw  a 
way  to  effect  what  she  desired.  "Let  us  light 
it  ourselves.  Shouldn't  you  like  to  learn  how  to 
light  a  fire?" 

"Well,  yes,  I  think  I  should,"  laughed 
Charles.  "Do  you  know  how  to  light  one, 
Nelly?" 


288  NELL   GWYNNE.. 

"  Nobody  better !     I  have  lighted  hundreds.'* 

"With  your  eyes,  Nelly  ?  " 

"No,  Charles,  with  a  farthing  rushlight.  But 
come,  to  work  !  to  work !  First,  we  must  have 
some  wood." 

She  bustled  about,  and  finding  a  broken  cedar 
box  in  one  corner,  she  ordered  the  king  to  chop 
it  up  with  his  sword.  Charles,  amused  at  her 
apparent  nonsense,  good-humoredly  obeyed. 
Then  she  threw  into  the  fireplace  paper  and 
chips,  and  lighting  them  with  the  taper,  she 
made  the  king  kneel  down  and  blow  it  with  the 
bellows. 

While  his  back  was  thus  turned  toward  her 
she  managed  adroitly  to  obtain  possession  of  the 
dangerous  paper. 

"Blow  harder!  Harder,  still!"  she  cried, 
cheerily.  "Good  sport,  isn't  it?  Don't  stop! 
Throw  on  some  large  wood  !  Now  blow  again, 
while  I'll  put  on  some  lighted  paper,  to  draw  the 
flames  through.  Blow  !  Blow ! " 

As  she  spoke  she  held  the  treasonable  com- 
pact in  the  flame,  and,  running  to  the  fireplace, 
knelt  down  by  the  king  and  thrust  it  under  the 
blazing  wood.  As  the  flames  shot  up  higher 
and  higher  she  burst  into  a  fit  of  hysterical 
laughter. 

"  Ha  !  Ha !  Ha!  That  is  the  best  fire  I  ever 
lighted!  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  Hal" 


CHECK   TO   THE   KING.  289 

The  king  cast  aside  the  bellows,  and  catching 
her  about  the  waist,  pinched  her  pretty  cheek. 

"What  a  mad,  merry  soul  you  are,  Nell. 
Odds  fish,  I  know  not  whether  it  is  the  fire  or 
your  airy  ladyship,  but  the  room  seems  strangely 
brighter." 

"And  so  it  ought  to  be,  Charles;  so  it  ought 
to  be,"  was  the  merry  response.  "And  now 
that  it's  lighted,  let's  sit  by  it." 

"With  all  my  heart." 

So  on  the  velvet  hearth  rug  they  settled 
themselves,  the  king  and  the  actress  side  by 
side.  Nell's  face  was  beaming  and  her  heart 
light  with  the  thought  that  she  had  saved  a 
man's  life.  She  chatted  away  so  gaily  and  wit- 
tily that  the  volatile  monarch  forgot  all  else 
save  his  charming  companion,  and  the  Council 
would  not  have  seen  him  that  day  had  not  Will 
Chiffinch  appeared  to  interrupt  them. 

"  Well,  what  is  it?"  exclaimed  Charles,  im- 
patiently, rising. 

If  Chiffinch  was  surprised  to  find  his  royal 
master  in  so  undignified  a  position,  he  gave  no 
outward  sign  of  his  astonishment,  but  replied 
gravely  : 

"  The  Clerk  of  the  Council,  your  Majesty  I" 

"Oh!  hang  the  Clerk  of  the  Council  1"  ejacx 
ulated  the  king. 

19 


390  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"He  comes  after  the  papers  for  my  Lords, 
sire." 

"Oh!  Well,  here  they  are.  Give  them  to 
him." 

And  he  gathered  up  the  papers  on  the  table, 
and  handed  them  to  the  secretary. 
•  "  Thank  Heaven  I    Just  in  time  1 "   thought 
Nell,  exultingly. 

"  Lord  Shaftesbury  begs  your  majesty's  pres. 
ence  at  the  Council,"  said  Chimnch,  as  he  took 
the  documents. 

"  Odds  fish,"  exclaimed  Charles,  angrily. 
"Am  I  to  have  no  time  that  I  can  call  my 
own  ?  I'll  not  to  the  Council  to-day.  And  so 
inform  my  lord  Shaftesbury." 

Chi  flinch  bowed  and  retired. 

"  The  impudent  knave ! "  said  the  king,  turn- 
ing to  Nell.  "  But  let  us  forget  it,  sweetheart. 
What  should  I  do  without  you,  Nelly,  with  your 
frank  and  sunny  temper  ?  I  am  sick  of  hypo- 
crisy and  I  love  you  because  you  are  yourself, 
my  lass." 

Honest  Nelly  winced  a  little  at  this,  when  she 
thought  how  she  had  just  deluded  him,  but  she 
vowed  in  her  heart  that  it  should  be  the  only 
time. 

"Feigning  hearts  and  false,  smooth  faces 
have  tortured  me  to  death,"  continued  the 
king,  feasting  his  eyes  on  the  winsome  face 


CHECK  TO  THE  KING. 

before  him.  "Your  open  brow,  without  mask 
or  veil,  has  comfort  for  me.  I  come  to  it  like  a 
desert  traveler  to  fresh,  clear  water." 

"Faith,  Charles,"  replied  Nell,  smiling,  "if 
that  were  in  rhyme  now,  it  were  worth  a  round 
from  the  pit.  But,"  and  her  face  grew  grave 
and  she  held  up  one  tapering  finger  reprovingly, 
"is  this  the  way  you  obey  me?  Has  all  my 
lecturing  been  so  soon  forgot?" 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  '* 

"  What  has  become  of  the  good,  honest  man 
I  advised  you  to  employ  to  look  after  the  public 
business.  No !  No !  sire,  you  must  not  stay 
idling  here  with  me  when  the  Council  demands 
your  presence." 

"  They  will  demand  in  vain  to-day,"  replied 
Charles,  comfortably  settling  himself  in  an  arm- 
chair. 

At  this,  Nelly  caught  up  her  cloak  and  hur- 
ried away  toward  the  door.  This  tete-a-tete- 
was  quite  as  pleasant  for  her  as  it  was  for 
Charles,  but  she  had  long  since  determined  that 
no  one  should  with  justice  reproach  her  with 
causing  the  king  to  neglect  his  duty. 

"  Nell !  Nell  I "  called  Charles.  "  Where  am 
you  going?" 

Nell  glanced  back  at  him  over  her  shoulder. 

"As  fast  as  I  can  to  hell,"  she  replied,  with, 
startling  distinctness. 


292  NELL   GWYNKE. 

•'And  why  with  such  speed  to  hell?"  asked 
the  king  in  astonishment. 

."That  I  may  fetch  Oliver  Cromwell  hence, 
for  he  will  have  some  care  for  the  nation,  and 
your  majesty  has  none ! " 

The  good-natured  Charles  laughed  heartily, 
but  the  joke  worked  its  effect.  Yawning  wear- 
ily, he  rose  from  his  chair  and  proceeded  slowly 
to  the  council  chamber,  having  first  exacted  a 
promise  from  the  daring  madcap  to  remain  in 
the  cabinet  until  his  return. 

Nell,  for  more  reasons  than  one,  was  nothing 
loath  to  give  this  promise. 

Left  alone,  she  began  to  feel  a  little  alarmed 
at  what  she  had  done.  What  would  happen 
when  the  paper  was  discovered  to  be  missing? 
Moreover — and  this  had  not  occurred  to  her  be- 
fore— might  not  the  destruction  ot  the  paper 
work  ill  to  the  king?  There  were  othet  plotters 
beside  Richmond,  and  might  not  they  continue 
their  nefarious  designs?  If  this  had  occurred 
to  her  before  it  is  very  doubtful  if  she  would 
have  lighted  that  fire.  To  save  the  duke  was 
one  thing,  but  to  bring  injury  to  the  king  was 
quite  another. 

She  was  startled  from  her  unpleasant  reflec- 
tions by  the  sound  ot  footsteps  in  the  corridor 
just  outside  the  door.  Some  one  was  coming  to 
the  cabinet.  In  an  instant  she  jumped  to  her 


CHECK   TO    THE    KING.  293 

feet  and,  flying  across  the  room,  popped  into* 
the  king's  closet. 

Scarcely  had  she  disappeared  when  Chiffinch 
entered,  ushering  in  the  Duke  of  Richmond  and 
Lady  Frances. 

"His  majesty  begged  me  to  request  your 
ladyship  to  remain  until  his  return  from  the 
Council,"  said  Chiffinch,  and  then  left  husband 
and  wife  alone  together. 

"My  Frances,"  exclaimed  Richmond,  throw" 
ing  his  arm  about  her,  "  at  last  you  are  to  take 
your  leave  of  this  corrupt  court." 

"  But,  Richmond,"  began  Frances,  and  then 
she  paused,  hesitating  to  proceed  further. 

"  But  what,  my  dearest  ?  We  are  one,  now, 
and  henceforth  must  have  no  secrets  from  each 
other." 

"  Alas ! "  said  Frances,  tremulously,  "  I  am  a 
woman  and  therefore  a  coward.  Forgive  me, 
my  own  love,  but  why  let  any  one  know  of  our 
happiness  until  we  are  out  of  reach  of  all 
these  malicious  tongues  ? " 

Richmond  smiled  as  he  glanced  down  at  the 
lovely  face  so  close  to  his  own,  but  his  answer 
was  firm  and  decided  : 

"Not  so,  my  own.  Be  true  to  yourself. 
Stand  by  me  as  I  tell  the  king  the  truth, 
and  tell  him,  too,  that  the  husband  of  Frances 
Stuart  must  either  serve  his  country  and  his 


294  NELL   GWYNNE. 

king  in  some  honorable  post  or  live  with  you 
«,  loving  and  a  quiet  life  at  home." 

At  these  words,  all  Frances'  courage  returned, 
and  raising  her  eyes  to  his,  she  answered ; 

"  Richmond,  you  are  better  than  I  am.  You 
are  more  fearless,  and  therefore  you  are  more 
true.  Oh  I  take  me  away  from  this  stifling  at- 
mosphere of  lies  I  Take  me  anywhere  where 
truth  is!  I  love  you,  my  honest  sailor.  I 
would  be  worthy  of  you."  She  raised  her 
white  arms,  threw  them  about  his  neck,  and 
continued,  passionately  !  "  ISTo  more  equivoca- 
tion I  No  more  disguise !  We  are  English,  we 
are  noble,  we  are  one  I  We  will  defy  this  king 
together  1 " 

In  a  paroxysm  of  happiness  Richmond 
crushed  her  almost  fiercely  to  his  breast,  but 
before  he  could  utter  a  syllable  in  reply,  there 
fell  upon  his  ears,  in  cold,  measured  accents, 
the  words : 

"Defy  this  king  together  I  You  will  need 
all  your  courage,  mistress  !  " 

With  a  startled  cry  Frances  sprang  from 
Richmond's  embrace,  and  moved  by  one  im- 
pulse, they  both  turned  toward  the  spot  whence 
the  voice  proceeded. 

There,  upon  the  threshold,  stood  the  king,  his 
arms  folded,  his  brow  black  as  night  and  his 
•eyes  blazing  with  anger. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

ALL'S   WELL  THAT   ENDS  WELL. 

WHEN  the  king  reached  the  council -cham- 
ber he  found  that  the  paper  revealing 
the  existence  of  the  compact  was  not  among 
the  other  documents,  and,  thinking  that  he  had 
mislaid  it,  he  returned  himself  to  the  cabinet  to- 
search  for  it,  and,  so  doing,  surprised  Lady 
Frances  in  Richmond's  arms. 

The  duke  was  the  first  to  regain  his  compos- 
ure. Uncovering  his  head  in  the  presence  of 
his  sovereign,  he  took  Lady  Frances'  hand  and 
advanced  to  confess  all,  but,  before  he  could 
utter  a  word,  Charles  checked  him  with  an 
angry  gesture. 

"Unhand  that  lady/'  he  thundered,  "or  by 
Heaven,  I  will  lay  aside  the  king,  and  face  my 
rival,  man  to  man !  'Sdeath,  madam,"  turning 
to  Frances,  "do  you  bring  your  lover  into  my 
very  closet  ?  "Would  you  show  yourself  without 
shame  as  well  as  without  gratitude  ?  " 

But  Lady  Frances'  blood  was  up,  and  she- 
was  not  to  be  dictated  to  or  intimidated  by  any 

M 


296  WELL 

one,  even  were  he  ten  times  king  of  England. 
She  faced  Charles  like  an  insulted  Juno,  her 
superb  figure  drawn  up  to  its  full  height  and 
her  blue  eyes  blazing  with  the  indignation  she 
made  no  effort  to  conceal. 

"  And  since  when  have  I  forfeited  a  woman's 
right  to  choose  whom  she  will  love  ?  "  she  de- 
manded, haughtily.  "Am  I  the  first  English 
girl  who  has  preferred  an  honorable  suit  to  one 
which,  although  a  king's,  was  all  insult?  Yes, 
sire,  know  that  I  love  the  Duke  of  Richmond, 
and  I  claim  a  free-born  English  woman's  right 
to  bestow  my  hand  and  heart  on  the  man  I 
choose.  This  is  the  man  I  love,  and  his  I  am 
till  death  do  us  part ! " 

This  was  defiance  with  a  vengeance.  The 
mask  was  off  at  last,  and  Frances  exulted  in 
her  release  from  duplicity. 

The  king  was  furious,  but  knowing  that  it 
was  in  his  power  to  punish  this  presumptuous 
duke  and  to  bring  this  arrogant  lady  to  his 
feet,  he  controlled  his  temper.  There  was  a 
steely  glitter  in  his  eyes,  however,  and  an  icy 
menace  in  his  voice,  as  he  replied : 

" Till  death  do  you  part,  say  you?  That  may 
be  sooner  than  you  think,  disloyal  lady." 

"  Idle  threats,  your  majesty,"  retorted  Fran- 
ces, with  a  scornful  curl  of  her  lip.  "  I  am  not 


ALL'S   WELL   THAT   ENDS   WELL.  297 

a  child,  or  disloyal,  as  you  well  know.     I  am 
more  true  to  you  than  you  are  to  yourself." 

"Say  you  so?  I  shall  answer  you  better 
when  I  find  a  certain  paper." 

Could  this  be  the  merry,  careless  Charles  who 
was  speaking,  this  cold,  calm  man  with  the 
stern  brow  and  the  grim  smile  about  the  lips  ? 
In  spite  of  all  her  bravery  Frances  felt  her 
heart  contract  with  a  nameless  terror,  and  she 
involuntarily  drew  a  little  closer  to  Richmond, 
who  had  been  a  grave,  silent  spectator  of  the 
previous  scene.  The  king  advanced  to  the 
table  and  began  searching  among  the  papers 
scattered  upon  it. 

Nell  Gwynne,  who,  peeping  through  the 
slightly  opened  door  of  the  king's  closet,  had 
been  an  eager  listener  of  all  that  had  taken 
place,  almost  laughed  aloud  as  she  saw  Charles 
turning  over  paper  after  paper  in  his  vain 
quest. 

"Find  it  if  you  can  I"  she  thought,  tri- 
umphantly. "  What  is  left  of  it  is  up  the 
chimney  ! " 

"Curses  upon  it/*  muttered  the  king.  "It  is 
gone.  Treason  sits  upon  my  very  footstool,  but 
this  time  she  is  foiled,  The  paper  was  in  dupli- 
cate, and  here  is  the  duplicate." 

As  he  spoke,  he  opened  the  drawer  of  the 
table  and  drew  forth  a  folded  document. 


298  NELL  GWYNNE. 

"  Lost !  Lost  I "  thought  Nell  in  despair, 
clutching  the  side  of  the  door. 

Up  to  this  moment  Richmond  had  had  no 
suspicion  of  the  revelation  about  to  take  place, 
but,  as  he  saw  the  paper  in  the  king's  hands, 
like  a  flash  he  understood  the  horrible  position 
in  which  he  was  placed.  Not  only  had  his  mad- 
ness ruined  himself  beyond  redemption,  but  it 
would  bring  the  bitterest  shame  and  grief  upon 
that  head  he  would  gladly  have  died  to  shield. 
A  ghastly  pallor  showed  itself  beneath  the 
bronze  of  his  face,  and  he  pressed  his  lips  tight- 
ly  together  to  stifle  the  cry  of  agony  that  rose 
up  from  his  heart. 

Frances,  who  was  watching  the  king,  saw 
nothing  of  the  change  in  the  duke,  and  to 
Charles'  question  of  whether  she  knew  what 
the  document  was,  she  replied  calmly  and  un- 
suspiciously : 

"  Yes,  sire,  the  papers  I  gave  your  majesty 
last  night.  I  thought  not  of  danger  when  I 
took  them  from  a  plague-spotted  hand  to  give 
them  to  you.  You  should  not  have  called  me 
disloyal." 

The  king  smiled,  somewhat  satirically. 

"Your  rebuke  is  just,"  he  said.  "If  rather 
cold-blooded,  you  are  certainly  loyal,  and  it  is- 
for  that  reason  I  am  about  to  put  a  question 
to  you."  He  paused,  and  fixing  his  eyes  iu 


ALL'S  WELL   THAT   ENDS    WELL.  299 

cold  triumph  upon  Richmond's  white,  drawn 
face,  continued  slowly  and  distinctly,  still  ad. 
dressing  the  unsuspecting  Frances :  ft  What 
does  the  man  deserve,  who,  being  my  soldier, 
yet  ,fi  ghts  against  me ;  who,  drawing  honor  from 
me,  yet  aims  at  my  throne  and  life?  " 

Promptly  and  clearly  the  answer  came,  ring, 
ing  in  Richmond's  ears  like  a  sentence  to  exe- 
cution. 

"  He  deserves  death." 

"  But,  say  this  man  was  a  nobleman  ?  " 

"  Then  he  deserves  to  die  twice  :  once  for  at- 
tacking  his  king1,  once  for  dishonoring  his  own 
order." 

There  was  something  satanic  in  the  gleam 
that  shone  upon  the  king's  countenance.  His 
triumph  was  complete.  Surely  never  was  ven- 
geance more  exquisite  than  this. 

"You  say  well.  Your  own  lips  have  con. 
demned  him,"  he  said,  with  ghastly  humor. 
"  Read !  '*  and  he  placed  the  paper  in  her 
hands.  "  No,  this  name  will  be  enough." 

Lady  Frances*  eyes  followed  the  direction 
of  his  finger  and  read  in  letters  of  fire  which 
seemed  to  burn  into  her  brain  the  name : 
Charles  Stuart,  Duke  of  Richmond. 

Slowly  the  blood  receded  from  her  face,  leav- 
ing her  white  as  marble,  a  convulsive  shudder 


300  NELL   GWYNNE. 

shook  her  whole  frame,  and  the  paper  fell  flut- 
tering to  the  floor  from  her  nerveless  grasp. 

With  eyes  in  which  there  dwelt  an  agony  of 
horror  and  despair,  she  gazed  first  at"  the  king 
and  then  at  Richmond,  who  stood  with  bent 
head  and  downcast  eyes,  as  in  silent  confession 
of  h'is  guilt. 

Something  very  like  pity  stirred  at  the  king's 
heart,  but  he  thrust  it  violently  away  from  him. 

"Duke  of  Richmond,"  he  said,  with  chill 
gravity,  "this  lady's  hand  gave  mo  the  proofs 
of  your  guilt,  her  tongue  has  pronounced  your 
doom — the  scaffold.  You  love  Cromwell?  To 
Cromwell  you  shall  go." 

As  if  from  an  immeasurable  distance,  these 
words  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  forlorn  and  mis- 
erable Frances.  She  could  not  move,  she  could 
not  speak.  Her  limbs  seemed  weighed  down 
with  chains,  her  heart  encased  in  a  block  of  ice. 
And  then  she  became  conscious  that  Richmond 
was  speaking. 

"I  was  mad,  sire,"  he  said,  in  low,  dull  tones. 
«'  This  lady  has  but  done  her  duty,  and  I  bow  to 
my  sentence.  Fool  that  I  was,  my  doubts  of 
her  ruined  me." 

He  turned  toward  Frances,  and  after  a  pause 
uttered  but  one  word,  her  name,  but  in  that  one 
word  was  such  a  world  of  despairing  love,  of 
tortured  entreaty  for  forgiveness  that,  as  if  by 


ALL'S   WELL  THAT   ENDS   WELL.  301 

magic,  all  Frances'  lethargy  fell  from  her.  She 
awoke  to  a  full  realization  of  her  misery,  and, 
stretching  out  her  hands  to  the  king,  the  master 
of  her  destiny,  she  moaned : 

"Mercy,  sire,  mercy  I" 

"  Mercy  for  him.     You " 

"  No !  No !  not  for  him !  for  me!  "  interrupt- 
ed Frances,  forgetting  all  save  the  shadow  of 
the  axe  which  hovered  over  the  man  she  loved. 
41  Oh,  spare  my  life.  It  is  bound  up  in  his." 

"You  were  warned." 

"  I  was.  I  know !  I  know !  Oh,  I  have 
been  much  to  blame.  Forgive  me !  He  loved 
you  so ;  he  was  so  faithful,  so  zealous  a  subject, 
until  we  drove  him  to  despair." 

The  king  stooped  and  picked  up  the  paper 
from  the  floor. 

"  Idle  words,  your  ladyship,"  he  said.  "Here 
is  his  handwriting/* 

<»  No  I  No !  here  is  his  true  handwriting," 
cried  Frances  eagerly,  drawing  with  trembling 
fingers  a  letter  from  its  resting  place  under  the 
laces  which  covered  her  bosom.  "  See,  sire,  his 
letter  written  from  sea,  scarce  three  months 
ago.  Read  it,  I  implore  you.  Read  it,  it  may 
soften  your  heart  toward  us." 

Hesitatingly,  the  king  took  the  letter  which 
Lady  Frances  thrust  upon  him,  and,  in  a  cold, 
monotonous  voice,  read  as  follows  r 


302  NELL   GWYNNE. 

"  Sweetheart,  I  write  with  the  Dutchmen  a 
short  mile  on  our  lea.  How  it  may  fare  with  me 
rests  with  Heaven.  My  breath  is  my  king's  as 
my  heart  is  thine.  If  I  die,  tell  the  king  he  had 
no  truer  servant.  For  my  life,  would  I  had ' 

But  Frances  had  impulsively  snatched  away 
the  letter. 

No  1  No  !  You  read  his  words,  but  not  his 
heart.  Listen,  I  will  read  it :  For  my  life, 
would  I  had  ten  thousand  instead  of  one,  to  give 
them  all  to  his  majesty.  My  last  thought  is  for 
him  and  for  thee,  and  my  last  words  shall  be  lov- 
ing and  loyal.  And  this  man  loved  not  his  sov- 
ereign?" she  demanded  passionately,  raising 
her  lovely,  imploring  eyes  to  the  king.  "  But 
he  loved  me,  and —  Oh  !  it  was  all  my  fault. 
Punish  me,  if  you  will,  but  spare  him.  Have 
mercy,  sire,  have  mercy  !" 

"  You  forget,  madam,  to  whom  you  plead  for 
your  lover,"  was  the  stern  response. 

"  Lover  I     He  is  my  husband  ! " 

The  king  turned  scarlet. 

"  Husband !  "  he  gasped. 

"  We  were  married  some  weeks  ago,"  she 
went  on  hurriedly  and  brokenly.  "  I  consented 
because  I  could  not  bear  his  doubts,  his  misery. 
Have  pity  upon  me.  It  is  too  horrible  to  make 
a  husband  fall  by  his  wife's  hand.  And  the 


ALL'S   WELL   THAT   ENDS   WELL.  303 

hour  he  dies,  I  shall  die  too.     Ah,  you  never 
loved  me,  or  you  could  not  kill  me." 

In  spite  of  himself  the  king  was  moved  by 
her  pleading.  His  impulses  were  ever  kind  and 
generous,  and  it  was  only  when  swayed  by  his 
own  selfish  desires  that  he  showed  himself  harsh 
and  unyielding. 

As  he  stood  irresolute,  Lady  Frances  threw 
herself  at  his  feet,  and  grasped  his  cloak  in 
both  her  hands.  With  her  whole  soul  shining 
in  her  eyes,  ringing  in  her  voice,  she  pleaded 
eagerly,  desperately,  madly,  for  her  husband's 
life. 

"  Sire !  sire !  On  my  knees  I  implore  you,  by 
the  name  of  Stuart,  which  we  all  three  bear,  by 
the  bitter  sorrows  our  race  have  suffered  to- 
gether, by  the  head  of  your  father,  the  royal 
martyr,  who,  at  the  point  of  death,  forgave  his 
murderers,  by  your  own  hope  of  mercy  from 
the  Eternal  King,  have  mercy  upon  Frances 
Stuart !  No !  I  will  not  let  you  go  until  you 
grant  my  life !  Charles !  My  dear  cousin  ! 
Charles  !  Have  pity  on  me  !  Pity !  Pity !  " 

The  poor,  overtaxed  brain  gave  way,  the 
voice  died  away  in  an  inarticulate  moan,  and, 
like  a  lily  broken  on  its  stem,  Frances  swayed 
and  sank  prostrate  at  the  king's  feet — white, 
motionless,  unconscious. 


304  NELL   GWYNNE. 

With  a  bitter  cry  of  "  Frances  !  My  love  ! 
My  wife  !  My  crime  will  be  her  death  !  "  Rich- 
mond threw  himself  down  beside  her,  and 
raised  her  in  his  arms. 

At  the  same  moment  a  woman  with  tear- 
stained  cheeks  dashed  open  the  door  of  the  royal 
closet  and  flew  to  his  assistance.  She  chafed 
the  cold  hands  and  bathed  the  pallid  brow,  mur- 
muring meanwhile  words  of  cheer,  until  finally 
the  blue-veined  lids  slowly  unclosed  and  Lady 
Frances  returned  to  consciousness. 

"  Frances,  my  own !  Speak  to  me !  "  faltered 
Richmond. 

With  a  faint  smile  she  laid  her  arms  about 
his  neck,  and  her  head  sank  wearily  upon  his 
breast. 

The  king  was  touched.  The  hard  lines  about 
his  lips  relaxed,  and  there  was  something  wist- 
ful and  pathetic  in  his  eyes  as  they  rested  upon 
the  husband  and  wife,  whom  it  was  in  his 
power  to  render  happy  or  to  condemn  to  mis- 
ery. His  bitterness  and  jealous  rage  were  rap- 
idly vanishing  and  his  own  better  nature  was 
strongly  asserting  itself.  "  Poor  souls  !  "  he 
thought,  with  a  mixture  of  pity  and  envy. 
"How  they  love  one  another!  If  I  take  his 
life,  they  will  hate  me." 

Nell,  who  had  been  watching  his  face,  read  it 


ALL'S   WELL   THAT   ENDS   WELL. 

as  if  it  had  been  an  open  book,  and  she  whis- 
pered encouragingly  to  Frances : 

"Be  reassured,  dear  lady.    The  king  relents." 

"Mistress  Gwynne,"  commanded  the  king, 
abruptly.  "Come  here."  As  Nell  obeyed  the 
summons  and  advanced  to  his  side,  he  said  in  a 
lower  tone  and  with  mock  severity :  "  So,  mis- 
tress, you  have  been  listening,  have  you?" 

With  an  admirable  assumption  of  injured  in- 
nocence, Nell  raised  her  eyes  to  his. 

"  I  have  no  mean  faults,  your  majesty,"  she 
replied,  solemnly.  And  then  with  one  of  those 
sudden  changes  which  rendered  her  so  charm- 
ing, she  made  a  mischievous  grimace  at  him 
and  whispered,  confidentially:  "Why,  of  course 
I  have  been  listening,  Charles.  You-  know  I 
have.  How  fond  you  men  are  of  making  us 
women  tell  lies." 

The  king  laughed  and  then  he  sighed. 

"At  least  you  must  not  lie  to  me,  Nelly. 
Whom  else  have  I  to  trust  ?  Now,  tell  me,  my 
little  Mentor,  what  shall  be  the  punishment  of 
that  treacherous  nobleman  yonder  ?  " 

Nell  laid  her  hand  imploringly  on  his  arm. 

"You  are  ^werful,  sire.  Be  merciful.  His 
fault  was  one  of  the  head,  rather  than  of  the 
heart.  There  is  not  a  nobleman  in  all  England 
more  loyal  than  his  grace  of  Richmond." 

20 


306  NELL  GWYNNE. 

Charles  was  too  keen  of  judgment,  when  not 
blinded  by  passion,  not  to  realize  that  this  was 
true. 

"Then  you  advise  me  to  pardon  him?"  he 
asked. 

"Yes,  yes,  sire,"  replied  Nell,  eagerly.  "You 
will  have  your  reward,  I  know  you  will." 

"My  reward,"  he  echoed,  sadly. 

"You  will  make  two  loving  hearts  happy,  and 
T — I  shall  be  happy,  too." 

"Heaven  forbid  that  my  merry  Nell  should 
ever  be  anything  but  happy  ! "  he  replied,  half 
seriously,  half  jestingly.  "I  am  a  king,  and 
cannot  hope  to  have  things  as  I  wish.  Well, 
then,  since  I  cannot  be  anything  more  agreea- 
ble, I  will  be  a  king." 

Confident  and  fearful  at  the  same  time,  Nell 
watched  him  anxiously,  as  with  a  proud  gesture 
he  raised  his  hat  and  placed  it  upon  his  head. 
Then  he  turned  and  advancing  toward  Frances 
and  Richmond,  he  addressed  them  with  that 
sweet  and  gracious  dignity  which  sat  so  becom- 
ingly upon  him  and  which  no  other  gentleman 
in  the  kingdom  could  hope  to  equal. 

"  Cousin  Frances !  do  not  tremble.  You  are 
our  ward,  and  it  is  for  us  to  see  to  your  welfare. 
Cousin  of  Richmond,  you  are  the  husband  of 
Frances  Stuart.  We  are  not  so  rich  as  our 


ALL'S   WELL   THAT   ENDS   WELL.  307 

brother  of  France  ;  and  we  can  give  you  for  our 
wedding  present  but  this  poor  slip  of  paper." 

As  he  spoke,  he  extended  the  "traitorous  com. 
pact.  Overcome  with  relief  and  gratitude, 
Richmond  sank  upon  his  knees  at  his  sover- 
eign's feet,  while  Frances,  her  heart  too  full 
for  words,  seized  the  king's  hand  and  pressed  it 
rapturously  to  her  lips. 

"  Oh,  sire,"  faltered  Richmond,  in  a  voice- 
choked  with  emotion,  "  you  have  conquered 
me,  as  the  axe  never  conquered  a  gentleman." 

"  He     has    conquered    himself,"   said    Nell,  § 
smiling  happily  and  proudly  at  Charles.     "  He 
is  greater  than  a  king." 

That  night  his  majesty  announced  that  there- 
had  been  a  marriage,  of  which  he  alone  had 
been  in  the  secret,  and  he  presented  to  the 
queen  and  the  assembled  court,  their  graces, 
the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Richmond.  Thereaf- 
ter the  appearances  in  London  of  Richmond 
and  Frances  were  but  few.  They  retired  to- 
their  estates  in  Kent,  and  there,  far  from  the 
turmoils  and  intrigues  of  the  court,  they  lived 
a  peaceful,  quiet  life,  caring  only  for  the  com- 
panionship of  each  other,  and  happy  in  the 
love  that  could  know  no  satiety,  no  change. 

In  spite  of   Master  Samuel's  woeful  prognos- 


308  NELL   GWYNNE. 

tications,  brother  John's  services  at  the  hasty 
marriage  proved  to  be  his  stepping-stone  to 
advancement;  through  the  influence  of  the 
Duke  of  Richmond  he  was  presented  an  excel- 
lent living  in  the  country,  and  his  faithful, 
modest  performance  of  his  duty  finally  secured 
for  him  a  bishopric.  As  for  gossipy,  scandal- 
loving  Samuel  himself,  his  fame  can  never  die, 
so  long  as  literature  exists,  for  his  diary  will 
ever  stand  unrivalled  for  its  amusing  qualities 
and  its  microscopic  picture  of  the  times. 

Buckhurst  was  too  sensible  to  eat  his  heart 
out  for  what  was  beyond  his  reach.  He  mar- 
ried fair  Mistress  Mary  Middleton,  and  after 
being  one  of  the  most  reckless,  pleasure-loving 
bucks  of  the  town,  settled  down  as  a  model 
husband  and  father  of  a  family. 

The  king  dealt  with  the  men  concerned  in 
the  plot  to  dethrone  him  with  rare  wisdom  and 
judgment.  Some  few  were  banished  for  more 
or  less  lengthy  periods,  but  most  of  them  were 
pardoned,  on  their  oath  never  again  to  conspire 
against  the  crown,  and  by  so  acting,  Charles 
made  of  those  who  had  been  his  enemies  some 
of  his  most  devoted  adherents.  The  Duke  of 
Buckingham,  warned  in  some  mysterious  man- 
ner of  the  discovery  of  the  plot,  managed  to  es- 
•cape  to  France,  where  after  living  for  a  year  or 


ALL'S   WELL  THAT   ENDS   WELL. 

two  in  anything  but  irksome  exile,  he  was  al- 
lowed to  return  and  was  restored  to  his  former 
honors,  although  it  is  more  than  doubtful  if  the 
king  ever  bestowed  upon  him  the  same  friend- 
ship which  had  been  his  in  former  days. 

And  Nelly?  Dear  Nelly,  with  the  laughing 
eyes  and  roguish  mouth,  what  shall  we  say  of 
her  as  we  bid  her  farewell?  What,  indeed, 
save 

Bs  to  her  virtues  very  kind, 
Be  to  her  faults  a  little  blind. 

And  Nell's  virtues  far  outweighed  her  faults, , 
Forgive  her  the  one  error,  which  was  more  forc- 
ed upon  her  by  circumstances  than  indulged  in 
by  choice,  and  it  may  fairly  be  said  she  was  en- 
dowed with  every  good  quality.  Flattered, 
courted  and  feted,  her  life  sped  gaily  forward 
amidst  all  the  merriment  and  dissipation  of  a 
dissolute  court,  but  she  was  far  different  from 
the  other  ladies  who  were  fortunate  or  unfortu- 
nate enough  to  win  the  royal  favor,  for  she  was 
as  much  distinguished  for  her  personal  devotion 
to  the  king  as  her  rivals  were  for  their  wealth 
and  titles.  Brave,  generous,  truthful,  tender 
and  sympathetic,  with  a  heart  pitiful  for  all 
woes  and  a  hand  open  to  relieve  all  suffering, 
she  did  all  the  good  she  could  and  never  harmed 
any  one.  The  king  may  well  have  said  that 


310  IvELL   GWYNNE. 

she  possessed  an  eternal  sweetness  and  youth, 
for,  while  she  devoted  her  life  to  making  others 
happy,  she  still  lives  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of 
her  countrymen,  who  cherish  her  memory  with 
peculiar  tenderness. 

"  Sweet  heart,  that  no  taint  of  the  throne  or  the  stage 
Could  touch  with  unclean  transformation,  or  alter, 
To  the  likeness  of  courtiers  whose  consciences  falter 

At  the  smile  or  the  frown,  at  the  mirth  or  the  rage, 

Of  a  master  whom  chance  could  inflame  or  assuage  ; 
Our  Lady  of  Laughter,  invoked  in  no  psalter, 
Adored  of  no  faithful  that  cringe  and  that  palter  ; 

Peace  be  with  thee  yet  from  a  hag-ridden  age. 
"  Our  Lady  of  Pity  thou  wast,  and  to  thee 
All  England,  whose  sons  are  the  sons  of  the  sea, 

•Gives  thanks,  and  will  hear  not  if  history  snarls 

When  the  name  of  the  friend  of  her  sailors  is  spoken ; 
And  thy  lover  she  cannot  but  love — by  the  token 

That  thy  name  was  the  last  on  the  lips  of  King  Charles.*' 

THE  END. 


A    001  277  526    8 


